Galactic Shift Extend

by Seanzilla1988

A familiar Beastkin goes through a familiar abandoned Cauldron. However, she doesn't end up in another timeline, but Bellwood, home to a teen with a watch he wears on his arm that can change his shape to save the world from harm.

87. Of Trolls and Yokai

Z0: *driving with feet while going down the long american highway* Hmm…how odd…I was sure this is the place where that one SCP is supposed to live…*runs something over* Bumpy road!

GT: I think you ran it over. …Wait…If we're here, I demand we meet Dr. Bright and trade with him for the infinite pizza box!

SZ:...*holds up a cross*

Z0: *lowers map* Oh that Dr. Bright? *another bump and thud* …Uh…maybe we can meet him on the way back…*sheepishly raises map back up*

GT: *looks out the back window* …Oh shit. He's up and…ACK! He's got a chainsaw cannon, Z0! He broke one of the items on his list!

Z0: What?! *stops and a thud is heard as something hits the back bumper* Dang road ragers…*backs up then shifts back to drive and moves ahead* Anyway, while I try and figure out how I got lost on miles of straight road…I'll let these guys begin the set up…cause this Map does nothing! *sets it on fire and tosses it out the window* And no I'm not asking for directions! *runs something over again* Wow there are a lot of bumps on this road…someone should really fix that.

GT: …Well…SZ, you do the disclaimers while I start praying the Mobile Task Force they deploy to catch us isn't Samsara.

SZ:

Z0: Hey is it me or does the Road end beyond that canyon? …I can jump it!

GT: Oh fudge! *ducks under the table, pulling SZ along*

Z0: *head bursts into flames* HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

---

Yet again our heroes were back to the multiversal road as they searched for the next world Evil X and his forces may have struck or will strike. It seemed just as many portals opened at once…just as many closed themselves off at the same time. Tracking back a few were fine, a few not so much…but better off from their eventual arrival. The team returned to the search and found a few new trails.

"Hmm…" Maximilian noted, "They are getting really…far out this time around."

"Far out as in cool…or…Far out as in, things are about to get extra trippy?" Makoto asked.

"Oh sadly…the latter, Kiddo," he sighed.

"...It's not the Chimera Su me, is it?" Ben asked.

"No. That one is far away from these," Maximilian replied.

"So…how weird?" Makoto asked.

"Well…Imagine a Renaissance fair…but…it actually is that era in time…" he trailed off.

"...Nope!" Makoto crossed her arms, "Not it, nuh-uh no way! I know how panicked and superstitious people used to be in those days! I'll get called a witch or a demon or something!"

"I'd like to stay out of that as well," Noel admitted, "While Funkfreed may be passable, I tend to rely more on Bolverk still."

"Well…there is this one…" Maximilian muttered, "This one is weird in that…it's a world where American and Japanese cultures are…swapped." he muttered, "It'd be Bellwood geographically…but…you may as well be in Japan."

"Really?" Ben asked.

"Yep. Huh, they actually make Sumo Slammers in their Bellwood and…"

"To the car!" FourArms declared, hefting Makoto and Noel over his shoulders.

"Honestly, that's one thing all Bens can't stop enjoying," Maximilian chuckled.

"At least it's consistent," Mai giggled.

"So…Ren fair?" Lambda blinked, "...Do we have to dress up for this one?"

"Yep," Maximilian replied, "Closet is actually a disguise machine. Just flip down the front of the door to reveal the computer to set up disguises."

"...Dungeons and Dragons," Lambda stated.

"...I always did want to wear the outfit I give my usual non-DM character," Mai admitted.

"Least this way we'll be able to fit in," Tsubaki muttered before looking at her sword, 'Though given where we're heading…I might get a few looks considering I wield Excalibur…'

"Well, I think I got a few notes on this world…maybe it might help us blend in. Thankfully and weirdly enough, it's a little more…open minded here," Maximilian explained, "So I think we can swing the Lady Knights angle…so you know…no weirdly frilly dresses."

"That's honestly a relief," Mai noted, "Dresses always mess up my fighting style and I can never stop ripping the lower half of them."

"I kinda like dresses…" Lambda muttered, "But I don't think Metal tights are any better…"

"Well I'm sure we can get something believable for us," Maximilian sighed as he walked to the closet and pushed down on the door before a panel flipped open, revealing a computer screen and keyboard, "Let's see here…what do we have…ah…we have presets."

"...Is there one for a bard?" Lambda asked.

"A bard? Hmm…Ah…Bard…Bard…Oh, right here," Maximilian replied.

"..." Lambda smiled, "I would like to be a bard please."

"I think you got too into the game…" Mai muttered.

"You don't get to say that," Lambda kept smiling while holding a finger to Mai's lips to shush her, "Need we address evil scantily clad Dragon lady Mai from the game?"

"..." Mai had the decency to blush while looking away from the smiling blond and the exasperated redhead.

"That's what I thought, Lady Knight bodyguard~" Lambda skipped into the closet.

"Aw man…" Mai realized what role she was stuck in.

---

"Mmm…" Makoto pouted from the backseat, "Can't believe I forgot to say 'shotgun'..."

"You can have it on the way back," Noel assured, "...Um…Ben?"

"Yeah?" Ben asked.

"What is Sumo Slammers about, anyway?" Noel asked, "I've played a few of the games and you showed your card collection before, but I've never understood the plot."

"Oh boy…" Makoto put her ear covering headband from her SuperHero uniform on and set them to synch with her phone, "I've had this talk almost 100 times now…your turn to listen, Noellie~"

"...I wish to live!" Skurd declared before covering himself in Diamondhead crystals.

"Well, you're in for a treat, Noel," Ben spoke, "They originally started as a manga back in the 1980s about two sumo wrestlers known as Ishiyama and Kenko and their journeys to becoming Yokozuna Daioh. While Ishiyama followed in the ways of his ancestors, keeping humble and respectful of himself and his opponent, Kenko fell astray. He delved into dark magics, twisting and changing his body and mind, leading him to becoming known as 'Kenko the Shapeshifter.' He needed a mech suit in order to stabilize his powers and used his abilities to manipulate things in the background of Ishiyama's journey." he chuckled, "I honestly met both of them when I was ten."

"Eh?" Noel pondered.

"Well…the them based on a video game," Ben explained, "Not a great moment and was when I was being…well…a jerk. Was losing to Gwen, so I went Upgrade and merged with the laptop we were playing on. Lightning struck and ended up sucking us both into the game itself and turned my aliens into tokens that I had to find in order to turn into them again." he shook his head, "It's a piece of my past that I tend to think back on at times so I don't slip up."

"Slip up?"

"I mean sometimes I still have moments where I want to do something maybe…a little too petty with my alien powers," Ben explained, "Like remember my buddies Cash and JT? How they used to be bullies when I was little?"

"Oh your friends with the really bad mystery vlog." She nodded.

"Yeah, them," Ben chuckled, "I used to get back at them a lot as Aliens, and when I put the Omnitrix back on when I was 15…they were still bullies…and…sometimes I wondered, what if I just went Alien…but…I remembered all the times I was such a jerk as a kid…and now…I needed to be a bigger person…a Better Man." he chuckled, "...yeah, I still goof around with it…but…I try not to fall back on those bad habits."

"...I think you do a good job on balancing it," Noel noted, "There are times where, yes, a lot of us want to smack you with Tsubaki's paper fan, but those tend to happen far less than the times where we don't. You do a lot of good with the Omnitrix, but also being you, too." she smiled at him, "You've helped all of us in one way or another by just being you."

"Thanks, Noel," Ben smiled, "I'm happy I have so many great people in my life, like Makoto and you." he chuckled, "I find it funny. At first I was…actually kinda sad…Kevin and Gwen left…they were moving on with their lives. But…then I met Makoto and Rook…then all of you…and…it's like I was never alone. So…sorry I don't say it enough, but thanks for being part of my life."

"O-Oh! It…It's nothing," Noel assured, "It's honestly been amazing and we should be thanking you as well. Helping us get used to this time, dealing with a lot of our questions…" she blushed, "Helping me learn how to drive."

"Hey, it wasn't much of an issue. You relaxed a lot when I went Ditto," Ben noted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "And I am still sorry for the nonsense that Two and Three caused with the parallel parking."

"I think it helped me calm down in a weird way. Seeing you be so calm and making jokes helped me relax." she explained, "Also watching you argue is funny and, as Ditto, adorable."

"Why do I get the feeling you wish you could hang out with my cute aliens all the time?" Ben chuckled.

"N-Not all the time…" she blushed.

"Sure you don't," Ben chuckled, "Anyway, it's nice just talking with you all." he smiled happily, "Anyway, where was I…" he muttered, deciding to change back to the original topic of their discussion.

"I am curious if there was any romantic subplot in the franchise."

"Uh…not the games or movie…but for sure the TV show. Each one has different people working on them. It's why Kevin loves the games and movie…but he, for some reason, can't stand the show," Ben explained, "Probably should've introduced the original show first instead of Hero Generation. Mostly for the fact that's where a romantic subplot starts involving Kenko's redemption."

"Ooh…color me intrigued~" Noel smiled, "I love a romance plot where one of them redeems the other~"

"I think it's a good thing I was older and more interested in those types of plots, no way little me would have liked it." Ben admitted, "But the movies are still what little me loved, nonsensical action. But I can appreciate what Hero Generation was trying."

'I thought it was safe to listen for a bit when he slowed down…but he's picking back up! Please oh gods in a higher plane of existence…spare me this torture~!' Skurd complained, re-encasing himself again.

---

"Is it safe to leave your Rustbucket in this cave?" Lambda asked as they all exited from a cave big enough to hide the Dimension traveling RV, wearing an outfit similar to when they were playing D&D.

"Don't worry. I covered it in a cloaking tarp and activated these sonic devices that make a sound that only animals will hear and make them stay away. As for any curious townsfolk, the proximity alarm has been changed into a bear's roar," Maximilian smiled, dressed in a hunter's attire. Most of his weapons were cleverly disguised as medieval hunting equipment like a crossbow or ax…which were both in fact just disguised plasma rifles, "I was thinking dragon….but you know, maybe a bear wouldn't make the town's guard come in, spears at the ready."

"Good idea," Lambda nodded.

"Well…It's not a dress," Mai noted, looking down at her outfit, consisting of a blue skirt with silver detailing, armored boots, an armored breastplate with shoulderguards, and armored gauntlets with a blue gem on the back of her hands.

"It does feel nice to actually wear the outfit," Tsubaki spoke, wearing a similar outfit to when they had been playing their D&D game with her blade replaced with Excalibur, "Still, it's best to focus and find this dimension's Ben Tennyson."

"Agreed," Maximilian nodded as the four began to make their way.

The four found their way through the forest and towards what they realized was the town given the large castle wall they assumed was for the protection of those living here. Lambda looked to the top of the gates to see in wrought iron the words 'Bellwood.'

"Halt!" a voice called as they looked up to see a knight looking down at them, "Who are thee?"

"Travelers in search for an inn to reside at," Tsubaki replied.

"Hold," the knight advised…before a smaller door opened and four knights emerged, each carrying a horseshoe, "To enter the Kingdom of Bellwood, thou must subject to the touch of cold steel."

"Hm? Horseshoe?" Lambda pondered as she touched it with zero hesitation, "Now what?" she asked, hoping something potentially magical would happen.

"I…think that's it, Lambda…" Mai muttered.

"Lady~" Lambda spoke up.

"Hah…Lady Lambda…" Mai groaned.

"And don't you forget it." she nodded, "Wait…that's it? Nothing flashy…no magic?"

"There would be if thou were a Changeling," one knight noted, "Iron dispels their magics that hide them amongst humans."

"Well we have nothing to hide," Tsubaki spoke, stepping forward and grabbing hold of it as well.

"We are fairly normal folks," Mai added, doing the same.

"Here Grandfather," Lambda handed one of the horseshoes to Maximilian.

"Thanks," he smiled, taking hold of it, "I hope this calms your fears, good sir. We are just a traveling family, making our way to better lands for our larger families sake. I believe I may have a family member living in this town. By chance, have you heard of a man named Tennyson?" he gave it back.

"Ah…you mean Lord Tennyson. His family has been defending the land for generations now," the Knight spoke, "Their Patriarch is famous as the Dragon Slayer."

"Dragon?" Lambda asked.

"At least that's what the legends say. All we know is their family has kept the Kingdom safe from the monsters in the darkness of the forest," the Knight went on, "But these days the creatures have been seen more and more…"

"Tis quite troubling and the people are growing frightened," another noted before the knights went back through the hidden doorway.

"You are welcome to the Kingdom of Bellwood!" the knight atop the wall declared as the doors parted for the team.

"Thank you kindly," Maximilian smiled, "Well…that was most unexpected." he mused to the girls while staying in character should the knights still be in ear-shot.

"Changelings…Monsters in the forest?" Tsubaki whispered, "Do you think they mean what we think they mean?"

"Oh big time," Mai nodded.

"Clear as day…" Lambda sighed, lightly strumming her lute.

"Instead of aliens…we're dealing with mythology?" Mai guessed quietly.

"Or people think that's what they are?" Maximilian offered.

"Possibly," Tsubaki whispered as she held her chin in thought, "Meaning any species that lives outside of Earth…have to be extra careful on how they interact with humans here."

"But that's not our concern at the moment," Maximilian added, "We need to find the Ben of this dimension. Wherever he might be…"

"If you were Ben in a world without Electronic devices or smoothies…where would he go?" Mai asked.

"Adventure?" Lambda offered.

"..." Maximilian sighed, "Because of course he would." he chuckled, "No matter the universe, he's a Tennyson at heart."

"Then maybe we can find the you of this world?" Lambda pointed to Maximilian, "If he's you, he should know the secrets of the world, be it aliens or magic…given the mother of your children was a magic alien in most all realities."

"That's true," Maximilian admitted, "If he's Lord Tennyson, then the most likely place would be…the castle itself."

"Castle!" Lambda cheered, skipping ahead.

"Ah!" Mai panicked, chasing after her.

"Mai made a big mistake introducing La-chan to the game…" Tsubaki sighed, shaking her head.

"It just feels refreshing to have that one kid who always runs ahead," Maximilian chuckled as he followed the two.

'I really hope Noel is handling Ben and Makoto alright in their mission,' Tsubaki thought as she finally went off towards the castle.

---

"Whoa…" the trio awed at how hightech and modern this reality was. It was like something out of a cyberpunk setting, with the clear Japanese influence all around as opposed to what they normally would expect. What amazed them was…it didn't seem like just humans roamed these streets.

"P-People like Makoto…" Noel awed, seeing several people with animal traits, "But…that's…then this…what…?"

"Yeah my mind's blown too…" Ben muttered as he looked to Makoto, "A-anything to add, babe?"

Makoto just stood there though, seeing how…friendly the people-both human and the ones with the animal traits-were interacting with each other. A few tears began to form in her eyes a bit, as if…she was looking at a dream she so longed to see back in her old timeline. Humans and Beastkin…getting along. She jumped when she felt something touch her beneath her eyes and looked to see it was Noel, holding up a handkerchief with a concerned look.

"Are you alright?" Noel asked.

"Y-Yeah…" Makoto replied, accepting the handkerchief and quickly dried the few tears she shed, "It…It's just…"

"Like a dream come true?" Ben supplied, earning a nod.

"Yeah…" Makoto nodded simply.

"...It looks like this world has some…form of Beastkin…" Noel muttered, "But they all live side by side peacefully with people. Having friendships, romances, maybe even families?"

"Now both of you are mind blown…" Ben muttered, "Well let's look for some local news, spots for people of our age group to loiter around…" he suggested before their stomachs went off, "...places to eat?"

"Hopefully, there's a Burger Barn or Mr. Smoothy's here," Makoto noted.

"Well…there's a Smoothy-Kun's…" Noel pointed at what looked to be a Mr. Smoothy's with the mascot being a chibi smoothie, "..."

"You want a plushy of the mascot, don't you?" Makoto asked.

"Hai," Noel admitted.

"Well…thankfully Grandpa Maximilian gave me this weird universal money converter…so let's get something while we look for…Alternate universe me." Ben offered as they walked over.

"I wanna order! Please~?" Makoto pleaded while grabbing her boyfriend's arm.

"I wonder what odd flavors they have?" Noel muttered as the trio tuned out most things happening around them.

However, doing so caused them to fail to notice a figure of Ben's height running down the street. He was wearing a bright white hooded jacket with a green Omnitrix symbol painted on his chest, baggy green cargo shorts with dark black leggings under those with green and white running shoes. His face hidden by a cloth face mask and the hood obscuring his hair. He looked up as he kept running, a groan escaping his lips as he kept going, something only he knew to look for following after him. The figure gasped as he took a sudden turn into a small alley between buildings before he jumped and flipped over a fence. He sighed before yelping when something landed behind him. His hood fell off to reveal messy medium length brown hair which turned very spiky towards the back of his head while framing his face and green eyes.

"W-Wa-Wait…" he gasped, "Okay…okay…I give…I am crazy out of shape…"

"Ban-baka," the thing that landed behind him spoke as it stepped out of the shadows, revealing a shinobi garbed in navy blue attire and all but their olive-green eyes hidden behind a navy blue mask, "You wouldn't be this way if you actually attended our lessons."

"Ah…yes…learn to live off weeds and root vegetables instead of hanging out with friends at the arcade and having yakiniku…sounds great~!" the boy named Ban groaned, "Mou…Why are you guys so annoying about this?! We all know I'm not the one who's gonna inherit anything…" he crouched down to catch his breath, the process pushing the sleeve on his left arm up to reveal the solid green bracer covering his forearm, "Ugh…can't…can't you just cut me a break? I am literally your only cousin…"

"...Ahh mou," the shinobi sighed as they pinched the bridge of their nose.

"...Chance…" Ban whispered as he began squat walking away.

"Ban, don't even think about it…"

"Gh!" he flinched, falling over, "How are we the same age…but you already have the personality of an old bag…?"

"Nani?" the shinobi narrowed their eyes.

"Ah…I think I said the wrong thing…" Ban began to sweat, feeling a rising killing intent coming from the shinobi, "...Uh…J-Ja ne, cousin!" He jumped to his feet and ran off, taking a sharp turn down a corner…just as a green flash filled the air.

"Not again!" she ran after him and saw zero trace of him, "Ah…" she groaned, "I hate that cursed thing…" The entire time three eyes colored in red, green, and blue blinked…before a figure clambered up a wall and away from the area.

"Hehehehe…" the three eyes giggled as they made it to the top of a building, "I am not dealing with you or Jii-san today. I've got an actual fun day planned with Sora-chan…" the shape returned to visible form to reveal Chamalien, but his body was much thinner with a dark green scarf covering his mouth, "That's right…you can't track me in this form~ I don't have any Ban tracks to follow~" he giggled, his body wiggling around with his laughter, "Ore wa saikou~"

"Too loud…" she spoke up, already behind him.

"GYA!" Chamalien leapt into the air before falling off the building, followed by loud crashing sounds, a very angry cat, and more things falling over, "I'm not okay…"

"Baka…" she sighed, shaking her head.

The entire time this all happened, not even more than a block away from the alternate dimension Mr. Smoothy's, where Ben and his companions who are visiting this Dimension, were sitting down and drinking away while looking up news articles with a table's complimentary holographic screen. Learning this world was a great deal more technologically advanced, but not that different. Typical things such as crime and supervillains…all stopped by what the news called either Ninja or Yokai. They figured the 'Yokai' in said stories were actually just this world's Omnitrix using Ben…or rather Ban, but they didn't know that slight detail yet. The stories matched up with the ones from Ben's early days when he had a secret identity. They didn't know that these creatures were connected and assumed they were actual mythical Yokai, which seemed easier to believe then aliens for some reason. Different cultures they chalked it up to, but they knew it was Ben's aliens as they saw what clearly looked like Cannonbolt, but the folks of this world assumed it was some kind of Nurikabe given his body shape. Another labeled what clearly was Heatblast as Enenra, and so on and so forth.

"Hahahahahaha~!" Makoto cracked up in laughter, bent over to the side of the table.

"Oh come on, Makoto. It's not that funny," Ben deadpanned.

"It…It's kinda funny that they think Wildmutt is a Jinmenken," Noel noted, managing to hold in her giggles.

"But why…Wildmutt barely has a face…" Ben muttered.

"I mean…I can see why…this is a very unflattering image…which…makes it funnier…" Noel let a few giggles escape.

"...It's the groucho marx glasses, isn't it? Ugh, I swear, that time I first met Zombozo is never going to stop being one bad memory," Ben groaned.

"A-At least we know the you of this dimension is a good guy," Makoto sighed, managing to calm down from her laughing fit.

"It looks like this Ninja is always seen at the same scene as the Yokai," Noel noted, "I'm not sure, but she does have red hair, so maybe that's the Gwen of this world?"

"Ninja clan huh?" Makoto asked, "Neat. But…how do we…wait I forgot. It's my Ben-Kun…he's probably the loudest ninja ever…"

"I WANNA LIVE!" Chamalien cried while running down the street, his body covered in paint.

"..." Makoto tilted Ben's head up as a blur jumped from building to building after the alien, "Yep…Ninjas…no one ever looks up."

"Yeah, I think that's his Gwen…" Noel muttered.

"Should we help him or something?" Ben asked.

"I'm sure he deserves it…" Makoto blurted.

"Yeah, probably right…" Ben sighed, "Let's wait 'till he's not panicked."

"You'll never take me alive, vile crazy lady who has no life!" Chamalien shouted.

"Guess this Gwen doesn't have a boyfriend," Noel noted.

"And this me…has the worst case of foot in mouth ever…along with a potential phobia of his Gwen," Ben muttered.

"Aha! You admit it's a thing!" Makoto cheered.

"Yes I did, and you are always right," Ben smiled, leaning to the side to kiss Makoto on the head, "Hmm." he smiled.

"Y-You took my victory from me…" Makoto muttered, "No fair~"

"There, there," Noel assured, patting her shoulder.

"I trained my boyfriend too well…now…he knows all my weaknesses…Noellie…I've lost my edge over my lover~" Makoto hammed up her a bit more than needed.

"You've found your perfect equal," Noel giggled before pausing and looking around.

"Noel?" Ben pondered.

"Mmm…I sense it…" Noel narrowed her eyes.

"...Romance?" Makoto guessed.

"No. The defiler of Romance," Noel scowled.

"...Wait. D-Did you figure out how to sense Eon…because he tried to break up a romance between someone?" Ben asked.

"Ben, I'm scared," Makoto admitted, suddenly hiding behind him, "We've given her too much freedom."

"I'm starting to get nervous as well," Skurd whispered with a light gulp.

"I know it…I can feel it…" Noel spoke as she looked around before spotting someone across the street in dark black clothing consisting of baggy cargo pants that became thinner past the knee, a dark black bulky jacket with a hood, with black boots, his entire garb covered in neon purple lines and piping all along it. Their head was covered in a black helmet with two backward sweeping horns, more purple neon accents and a tinted full face visor with a purple upside down triangle symbol in the center.

"No way…Another Eon variant?" Ben blinked.

"It's the multiverse. It shouldn't be a shocker…but it kinda is," Makoto spoke.

"That no good…" Noel growled, about to pull out Funkfreed before Ben quickly put a hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa now, Noel…" Ben warned, "We are in a public area and he hasn't made a move yet. We do not want to get into trouble with the locals, remember?"

"Mmm…B-But he's a person who ruins romantic moments like special dates and probably even weddings," Noel whined.

"Okay…clearly he really peeved you off…so…let's just chase him…and maybe lead him into a dark alley," Ben offered, "At least then, it just looks like a weird situation."

"We'll kick his butt…without causing an incident to make the police chase after us," Makoto added.

"Mmm…Fine," Noel nodded, "..."

"You want to take his helmet as a trophy in the name of romance?" Makoto guessed, earning a nod, "Okay, we'll let you keep the helmet as a trophy."

"Maybe you can annoy Eons all over by remodeling it," Ben joked.

"We should consider shopping before we leave…this place has amazing fashion," Makoto added.

"Oh, I did see an adorable kimono while we were driving," Noel recalled.

"Crisis currently avoided," Skurd whispered, wiping a tentacle across his brow in relief.

"Now hurry, you two. We need to be careful to not let Eon know we know he's after the me of this world," Ben advised quietly, earning nods from them both.

The trio went off, unaware of a figure watching them from a nearby table, a pair of fox ears twitching atop their head.

---

Iron striking steel echoed as flames crackled from the furnace. In the forge, a burly figure worked with steel and iron, flattening and shaping the glowing red alloy. After several minutes, the figure nodded before quickly dunking the blade within a barrel, steam hissing from contact. They pulled the object out, revealing the shape of a broadsword's blade. The figure looked upon it for several moments before nodding and placing it upon a workbench. They reached for a whetstone when a soft knock went off. The door opened and a woman in robes in various shades of blue stepped in, her long orange/red hair braided and put over her right shoulder, more of it braided atop her head to allow the gold headband on her forehead to be exposed.

"Grandfather, a group of travelers requests an audience with you," the woman spoke, "One…feels much like yourself."

"Strange…I was not expecting company," the man mused as he put his tools down and began removing his protective gear for working in the forge, "Ah…What dreadful timing, though. I'm an utter mess from working in the forge all day." he shook his head, "Nor have I had time to prepare a meal for our guests."

"Ah, y-yes…Truly a pity, Grandfather," the woman noted, clearing her throat, "But still, one is odd to me. While he has passed our normal tests for detecting Changelings and other Fae, his mana…it feels much like your own."

"Oh? …Well then, he may very well be a fellow Tennyson man. I have not seen my siblings in ages…This might be a wonderful potential family reunion," he chuckled, stepping out into the light to reveal a burly-looking Max with long gray hair and a large beard with a scar over his right eye, "Well? What are we awaiting for, Gwendolyn? Let's go off to meet them!"

Sure enough, within the main hall of this large abode, our dimension traveling quartet all waited for the Lord of the manor to greet them. They had already met this world's Gwendolyn, and noted she looked a fair bit more mature than they expected. Be it the more harsh type of world or perhaps this dimension's personal time axis. It was a shock, but she was undeniably the Gwen Tennyson of this world. They could even see she was stealthily using her magic to scan them, clearly just trying to be safe. They had no idea how aliens…or whatever was the case with this world were viewed by the Tennysons if such a myth of their Patriarch being a Dragon Slayer is true.

"So…big…doesn't seem your style, Grandpa Maximilian…" Lambda noted as she looked around.

"Eh, this is probably more akin to Plumbers HQ," Maximilian compared, "Always considered the shop hiding it all more as my place. That and my Rustbucket."

"I guess this could just be like a guild hall…" Mai noted.

"But where is everyone? A manor this large would surely have a staff to maintain it…" Tsubaki noted.

"Ah…Rich girl," Lambda remembered.

"Rude…" Tsubaki turned to her.

"But true…" she smiled.

"...When did you get so sassy?"

"I learn from Ben," Lambda replied.

"Who else?" Tsubaki frowned.

"Steel…and from watching Tsukasa both from our trip and in the tv show," Lambda admitted.

"Why from the worst of picks…why them?" Mai complained.

"Silence, Dragon Lady," Lambda replied.

"How many times do I have to say sorry~?" Mai sobbed.

"Girls…" Maximilian spoke up as some doors opened, letting the Max and Gwen of this world appear.

"Greetings!" Max cheered, holding his arms out, "Ah…I do so see the handsomeness of a Tennyson man indeed!"

"Santa Max…" Lambda and Mai whispered, focusing on his beard.

"Greetings, I am-Oh my!" Maximilian grunted as he was lifted into a powerful hug and picked up off the ground.

"Aha! Come here! No pulling the wool over my eyes! Clear as day you are a Tennyson man!" Max cheered, putting Maximilian down, "Oh…are these your girls? The concern for you is clear as day! These must be your kin!"

"Oh well yes…" Maximilian began before Max scooped them all into a hug as well.

"Hugs of doom…" Lambda grunted.

"Grandfather, please…" Gwendolyn coughed.

"Oh…apologies," Max chuckled as he put Maximillian down, "Now then, how can I help you fine lot out?"

"We are in search of your grandson," Tsubaki explained, "An oracle foretold of a grave danger coming for him and that we were to aid him in his hour of need."

"Danger? What else is new with that grandson of mine and his trouble with attracting trouble?" Max shook his head, "I once had him go get milk from the cows and he ended up being chased by the bull all over town. Oh, we had to work several days to make reparations to the family of that one shop who came from overseas and Benjamin pretty much lost any chance with courting their daughter."

"Definitely Ben…" Mai whispered.

"That boy has his head stuck in such dreams of glory and adventure…" Max groaned, "He spends all his days either in the forest or locked in the forge. Given I had time to work in it myself…he's off in the forest again, doing lord knows what with Az-…ah…with…"

"Az?" Lambda tilted her head.

"..."

"By chance…is it a little cantankerous fellow…named Azmuth?" Maximilian asked, "I can say that…I know of such a creature."

"So you be of the Plumbiers as well…ah…and here I was dancing around eggshells! Ya see, this…this is why I don't like talking to the folks who don't know," he turned to Gwendolyn, "It's so damn hard to not make them panic!" he turned back to the others, "Ah…I can't tell you how much it makes this simple for me…Azmuth has been nothing but a little pain since I met him as a young squire! Him and his magic from the stars. Don't I always say how much I prefer the stuff you and your Grandmother practice, dear?" he looked at Gwendolyn, who rolled her eyes.

'...At least we're a step on the right track,' Tsubaki thought.

"I like this Santa Grandpa," Lambda whispered, earning a deadpan look from Mai.

"He's supposed to be a knight," Mai whispered back.

"...Knight Santa?" Lambda tilted her head at Mai.

"Please just stop…" Mai groaned.

---

The sounds of gears turning and grinding filled a dark cavern. Torches were giving enough light as mechanisms worked and turned within the large hidden cavern deep below the Earth into a gauntlet of trials. A figure clad in silver armor stood at the start. The armor was etched with glowing forest green accents all along it and covered most of his body but only consisted of a chest plate, a single pauldron on his left shoulder, vambraces and gauntlets, cuisse, greaves and sabatons. Their head clad in a helmet that hid his face behind a mask with two glowing eyes. He looked to his left gauntlet which was different from the others. It had multiple glowing green lines stemming from a circular symbol set near the center of his forearm, a piece of armor slid over it to hide it as he nodded to himself before staring down the training gauntlet before him.

With a grunt, the fully armored Knight ran down the path to begin as he leapt over multiple swinging stone arms, ducking, jumping and rolling his way around them before grunting when they stopped making him roll farther than intended. He gasped, hearing a click, as streams fire began spouting from nozzles hidden in the floor.

"Hmm…he's doing better this time," a voice chuckled as a small Galvan watched from a safe distance, "When he first began it took him…what?…an hour to get past the first part, and that's without any noticeable brain damage." he held a hand over his eyes as the flash from the fire grew brighter, "...Okay…who added the magnesium to the fire floor? I'm not mad…just disappointed…" several grumbles filled the air, "Really? Not a single one of you did it? …Oh that's just wonderful…why don't we all just go out and let the stupid humans just shoot us while we're at it!?" he grabbed a staff that was his size as he began waving it at the figures, making them all yelp and run, "This is what I get for trusting a mish-mash collective of idiots stranded on this dirt ball with me!" he turned back to the gauntlet, "..."

The Knight jumped and ducked around pendulous weights as they swung in random arcs. He jumped past the final weight before sliding to a stop at the next obstacle. A narrow hall where the floor began falling and resetting itself randomly all while multiple poles began extending from the walls. The Knight grunted before he jumped and grabbed one of the poles and used it to swing himself forward, landing on a tile of the floor before jumping for the next pole.

"You remembered to grease the mechanisms so they extend properly, right?" the Galvan asked.

"Uhhhhh…" an Atrocian slowly mumbled.

"...Ugh. Why do I even bother to ask?" he questioned, shaking his head.

"Haha! I almost-GAH!" the knight cringed when a delayed reaction clocked him upside the head and knocked him down, "...I am fine!"

"Eh…still his best time this month…" the Galvan sighed, "Enough of your squishy human body training, boy! Begin training with the Omnitrix! We haven't all day!"

"Oh very well…" the knight sighed as the piece of armor slid off his gauntlet.

"Don't take that tone with me, boy! Train all you like, but you'll never be able to fight half the troublemakers out there as just a human!" the Galvan snapped, making him flinch, "You will train as I instruct or you will die a painful horrible death! Do you want that!?"

"No, sir!" he replied as he looked at the exposed part of his unusual gauntlet.

He reached out to it with two fingers on his other arm and a green selection wheel appeared above the emblem. He rotated it around before selecting one and moved his fingers away, allowing the emblem to rise up. He pushed down on it and a green flash went off. In the knight's place stood FourArms, donned in similar armor with his sword now a Zweihander, the blade itself a deep crimson with black tribal markings.

"Back to the starting position!" the Galvan called, "Now did any of you make sure the setting for Tetramands was working properly?"

"..." everyone looked at a Tetramand in a full-body cast aside from one arm…who gave a thumbs up with the one good arm.

"Well at least you're honest," he sighed as he tapped his staff on the ground and the training arena groaned and shifted until it resembled a facsimile of a harsh landscape, "And begin!"

FourArms roared as he charged in, quickly jumping over an oncoming bolas before withdrawing his blade and slicing through two more that came at him mid-air. Upon landing, he quickly caught the two oncoming battering rams with his namesakes, grunting a bit from the impact. He growled before pushing them back enough for him to jump up and let them crash into one another, landing upon them both. He quickly rolled off them, barely avoiding the buzzsaw that swung at him. He began to run, dodging several curved blades erupting from the ground, the last one he quickly blocked with the flat of his blade. With a roar, he forced it back long enough for him to swing his blade and cleave through it.

"Now that's the way," the Galvan noted, "Combining your training of old with what you're learning in your forms to create a new path," he smirked, "You can learn; maybe you won't die young."

"I have a good mentor," FourArms replied, earning a chuckle from the Galvan before a Necrofrigian phased through the ceiling and flew down to them.

"First Thinker," the Nerofrigian spoke in a female's voice, "We have a group of travelers entering the woods. An elder, two knights, and a bard."

"Is it another guy with a lute?" one of the beings, an Arburian Pelarota, groaned.

"No. Oddly, it's a party of a male elder and three females. The bard is a female…but, yes, still a lute." several groans went off as cash traded hands, tentacles, talons, or slime, "Though…" she looked to FourArms as the arena reset, "The elder oddly reminds me of the Dragon Slayer, only less bulky."

"I beg your pardon?" FourArms asked, "Grandmother didn't visit and get annoyed with Grandfather again, did she?"

"No. I'd be pink and yellow if she were visiting," the Necrofrigian replied before turning back to the Galvan, "Your orders, First Thinker?"

"Well we can't be sure these aren't dangerous people. But at the same time, we can't just blindly trust. We'll have to watch them for a bit. If they find their way here…they know of us. From there…me and the boy will judge whether or not we bash them over the heads with rocks."

"Azmuth!" Many complained about his morbid bit.

"Oh fine…find the one who produces the sleeping spores…he should be sleeping in some dark dank corner…make him pay some rent for once," Azmuth sighed.

"...Not it!" many shouted.

"Not…shoot," an alien resembling Eye Guy groaned before walking off, "If I'm not back in three hours, you know what happened!"

"Yes, yes…you can complain over the extra helping at dinner, just get the spores, because for some reason everyone is against violent methods…bah…" Azmuth complained.

"Eh, could always have a good quarrel before they get the spores," FourArms noted as he changed back into the knight.

"See? Benjamin gets it," Azmuth gestured to the knight, said knight lifting his visor to show Ben's face beneath the mask.

"You are a terrible influence on the boy," a Pyronite woman groaned.

"Untrue! He was already like this when he found us," Azmuth argued.

"It's true. I do enjoy a good adventure," Benjamin agreed.

"See, I didn't do a thing to the human calfling! Now grab the rope, some cloth for gags, and the scary looking but blunt edged battle axe. Just in case we need to get some truth the hard way out of them." Azmuth ordered.

"Why did we make him leader again?" a Loboan whispered to the Atrocian as everyone went off to get the items.

"Because he knows the Hephastean Neuro Grip, made the gravity disc for Gloopette, and basically is the smartest being in three to five galaxies," the Atrocian replied.

"Honestly, I am hoping they're good people. Never seen a female bard before and it'd truly be a shame for her to be a cruel woman," Benjamin admitted to Azmuth.

"Bah. Live as long as I have Calfling and you learn that all women…are just a little crazy,"

"Hey…" several voices spoke.

"You all know it's true!" Azmuth raised his staff into the air.

"Come on, I know some humans are worth trusting. You trusted me," Benjamin laughed.

"You…are a rare occurrence! For some reason, people of your family are more trusting of my kind…you are willing to listen to the fact that we are not magic!" he complained.

"Of course not…if you were, you'd be much more fun and less cantankerous." Benjamin argued, "Just like Grandmother."

"I'm still upset with her last visit. I think I still have a patch of pink on my skin from that one spell of hers."

"That tends to happen," Benjamin chuckled.

---

"Okay…the tracker for the energy signature of the Omnitrix is leading us this way," Maximilian noted, holding a compass, but the inside of it was a radar, and they approached a cliffside's base.

"...The base of a cliff?" Mai pondered.

"Lick it," Lambda ordered.

"I'm not licking rocks! Do you know how old Rocks are?! I'll be stuck in a daze for who knows how long!" Mai complained.

"I assumed you'd just fall for it…" Lambda admitted.

"Do I have to increase your punishment when we get back home?" Tsubaki frowned at Lambda.

"No, ma'am," Lambda gulped, hiding behind Maximilian.

"Hmm…" Maximilian patted at the wall, "If I'm right, this may well be a hidden entrance." he put his ear against the rock and began to tap at it on random spots, "...Heh. It's hollow alright."

"So…it's a fake?" Mai asked, "Do we just knock?"

"No, and I would very much like it if you didn't lick my wall!" Azmuth shouted, making the girls jump back as a small door in the cliff opened for him to look at them, "What do you want? We don't have any wizards! And no! I am not a goblin or pixie!"

"A…Azmuth?" Tsubaki pondered in surprise.

"Yes. That is my name, young lady."

"Are all Azmuths cranky?" Lambda blinked.

"I am not cranky; I'm just stranded on this dumb planet far from my home and with few useful resources. Apparently, this planet adapted to use magic and mystic arts over technology…just great…" Azmuth groaned, "But that makes me wonder…who are you kids and this old man who looks like Maxwell the Cheerful?"

"I knew it…Santa!" Lambda spoke to herself.

"I swear that will never be forgotten…" Maximilian muttered, facepalming.

"We're from an alternate version of this universe," Tsubaki explained, "There's a dangerous Celestialsapien that has recruited other versions of a person named Ben Tennyson going out and trying to steal the Omnitrix from each one."

"Oh…so that explains that weird blip…" Azmuth muttered, "Ah…but you're dimension travelers…probably got nothing I can use…"

"Did you hear us?" Lambda blinked.

"It's no concern as long as I hide this boy here in this training hall," Azmuth declared, "If an evil version comes here after him…zap…no more Omnitrix." he held up his staff for emphasis, "What…you think we Azmuths made the most powerful tool in the known galaxy and didn't have a backup to prevent it from being used against us? We all have an Omnitrix shutdown device on hand…somewhere, I turned mine into a walking stick."

"Hiding it in plain sight," Mai noted, "That's…honestly ingenious."

"Sides, not much I can do against a Celestialsapien, even if they are collecting alternate versions of my work. My best guess is if he uses them for what I think, get another Azmuth to lend you his counter device." he offered, "That…or get an Anodite to help you."

"Ben's Grandma?" Lambda asked, "Why?"

"What, don't you know anything? Anodites are the one aliens Celestialsapiens don't want to bother with, the two are a deadlock…it comes down to who can depower the other first, Anodites know a magic that can strip them of their omnipotence." Azmuth pointed out.

"That's a thing?" Maximilian asked in surprise before adopting an annoyed expression, "Of course it'd be a thing she'd know…"

"Still, simple enough to keep the Calfling safe from his being taken away," Azmuth shrugged.

"Unless you forgot that if he's anything like the Ben we know of, he can't refuse the call to help others and these bad versions of Ben will more than likely use that to force him to appear," Tsubaki noted.

"..." Azmuth sighed, facepalming, "The boy would do just that. In the time I've known him, he's dealt with protecting our current abode, fended off shapeshifters, got Eekzekial a new mask to hide his face, and prevented our current residence from caving in…and that was without the deeds he does in Bellwood with the Omnitrix."

"Ben always helps, even if he makes a big mess while doing it." Lambda gigled.

"Sadly true…" Tsubaki sighed.

"Wait…you said a blip…what kind of blip?" Mai asked.

"Well, at first, I thought that dumb boy tested out a flying form…only to time out over the ocean…" Azmuth explained, "Only for me to find him sleeping in the barn with the baby sheep…so it wasn't him I detected."

"..." Lambda blinked a few times.

"You want to take a nap with baby sheep now, don't you?" Tsubaki asked.

"...Would you believe me if I denied it?" Lambda asked simply, earning facepalms from Tsubaki and Mai.

"But that means one is here?" Maximilian asked.

"Somewhere out at sea…going in a circle…" Azmuth muttered.

"...We need to investigate whatever that is," Tsubaki immediately spoke.

"I don't think they know how to actually navigate open sea…" Azmuth stated, "And going out in search of someone at sea…well frankly that's an idiot's quest."

"Yes, but if we don't track whoever this is down, most likely considering our recent pattern...it might end up being someone that will be after Benjamin's Omnitrix."

"Even if you had a better ship, by the time you find them where at sea will it be?" Azmuth asked, "I can track this signal. When it's close, I'll inform you. You'd just end up wasting energy running into a foolish battle."

"Right. My apologies. Been dealing with child versions of Ben, roughly ten years old," Tsubaki apologized.

"Tell me about it," Azmuth groaned, "Been stuck here for six years now." He turned back to the 'wall,' "But we can share stories of our woes with the Calfling in better comfort and safety inside Trollmarket."

"Trollmarket?" Mai repeated.

"It's what Gwendolyn called it when she first came here," Azmuth explained, "The other residents all liked it and the name stuck."

He tapped a spot on the 'wall' and a patch of it twitched before parts pushed inwards, making it look as if it were caving in, until it spun counterclockwise, opening up to reveal a tunnel lit by torches. Lambda offered her hand to Azmuth, who hopped onto it and then onto her shoulder before he pointed to head inside.

"You say you've been stuck here? How?" Lambda asked.

"Here in our world, galactic war has gotten out of hand. A race of stupid frogs called the Incursiens have gotten too big for their own pond…and now are starting a needlessly violent war with the scariest monster in the galaxy: Vilgax the Conqueror. Suffice to say…it's not going well for them…and Vilgax has gotten a taste for blood as a result. He's been on a rampage across the Milky Way, even into the Andromeda galaxy…We who live here are part of a mass exodus in hopes of waiting for the war to end. Which is why I created the Omnitrix, to catalog all the species who exist…or…existed." he sighed, "But I know this world is not safe, as its technological level is so low, it's off the radar for most alien races. It lacks any useful resources as well, nothing but pointless metals and fossil fuels. So we decided to wait here, rest, recover, and hopefully…train a champion who can face Vilgax in battle. Due to the law of his kind, if he is beaten in one on one combat…his army now belongs to the victor. Thus stopping him should we win."

"If anyone can best Vilgax, it's a Tennyson," Maximilian noted with a smirk.

"I hope this to be true," Azmuth mused, "But yes, when we reached this planet we crashed deep in this forest. Believe it or not but aliens have been coming to this rock out in the space boonies for the simple reason most civilized worlds would never come here." he explained.

"Why?" Lambda asked.

"People study magic here! No one wants to deal with magic! It's nonsense, chaotic nonsense! No sane civilized species would dare mess with this stuff…it lacks reason or science…it's nothing but a headache, and the people who study it are nothing but superstitious nutjobs! That or Anodites…but they are also annoying…" he groaned, "Naturally most of the races who would rat me out to Vilgax will avoid this place like a plague. But he's probably still going to search here once he runs out of false leads I set up to distract him. Not to mention that his scouting drones got destroyed so…"

"Understandable," Tsubaki spoke as they exited the tunnel into a massive well-lit cavern filled with various structures and aliens going about their business, "Huh…Reminds me of Undertown in our dimension."

"Just don't cause a scene or go poking stuff, these people are jumpy about humans." Azmuth explained, "And don't lick anything!"

"..." Mai frowned and she pouted at Lambda, who had the decency to blush.

"We'll keep that in mind." Tsubaki nodded simply.

"Alright good, now if you'd please wait in my quarters, which you shall find next to that giant quartz crystal I've turned into a self sustaining power source for this entire underground village complex. I will…return to making my young champion run through walls till he learns the simple subtlety of…climbing over them." Azmuth stated, "Interesting one, that way if you'd please." he pointed to a large gate built into the wall of the cavern, "We shall commence with the flaming arrows!"

"...Did we just leave La-chan around another person who can snark while knowing they're smart enough to know when to do so and can cause the most amusement to themselves from said snark?" Mai asked once the two were gone.

"Sadly, yes," Tsubaki sighed.

"Well it's never boring in these weirder worlds." Maximilian chuckled.

---

Ben sighed as he held the bags once again after Makoto and Noel got their fill of fun in trying on and finding new stuff to buy in this unique alternate dimension. It wasn't as bad as he made it out, he was just glad they were having fun; but if he didn't complain, they'd think he enjoyed this, which-to be fair-no man does. But he also had the common decency to not ruin their fun, at least the girls found new outfits to wear so as to fit in. Makoto had taken to a pale-blue t-shirt underneath a black jacket with her sleeves rolled up just above her elbows, a pair of blue jean shorts with a leather belt with a squirrel pattern to it, and a pair of black high-heeled shoes/stocking hybrids that reached up to three inches above her knees. Noel had taken to a large brown jacket over a dark-brown sweater over a white button shirt, a navy-blue skirt with a gold trim at the bottom, brown formal shoes, thich-high white stockings, a plaid red scarf, and her long hair pulled into a ponytail by a blue ribbon.

"Are you sure you aren't going to try something new, Ben?" Noel asked.

"Ah…nah I'm good," Ben chuckled.

"Boo…Come on~. Have some fun~!" Makoto smiled, leaning against him, "For once, we got things under control!"

"Hahahaha!" Skurd laughed, stretching around to sit on Ben's head, "The Disaster Couple? Under control~? Pffft…hahahaha!"

"Noel?" Ben simply asked.

"He's still here," Noel confirmed, glancing around, "That infernal romance ruiner."

"I worry about how you developed this 6th sense…" Makoto spoke up.

"Pretty sure this is like her 7th…6th in a general romance sense," Ben joked.

"Joke all you want, but my feelings have never failed me!" Noel declared.

"You are a scary and adorable little creature, Miss Noel," Skurd chuckled, "I like it…keep it up."

"You think we're a bad influence on her?" Ben whispered.

"Eh, maybe," Makoto softly replied before giggling, "Though, I don't mind if part of that influence was on shopping. It's hard finding outfits that are made with me in mind back home, so this place is just perfect!"

"Hence why we also ordered some extras in larger sizes in case it takes a bit longer for outfits to start adding versions for those with tails," Ben chuckled, "You think this world's Gwen caught this world's me by now?"

"Beats me," Makoto shrugged, "I mean, who knows how different this place is? For all we know, it's like Naruto and people have Ninja magic?" she pointed out, "It seems your…twin…other you…oh Alter~! Your Alter here has an Omnitrix, so that much is normal."

"So far stuff is really high tech," Ben added, "Who knows what this world's deal is. There are people like you after all, though none of them hold a candle to how cute you are."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, boyfriend~" Makoto smiled, "But yeah, that is a point of difference, the population looks 50/50."

"While you two are doing the detective bit, Noel is looking at babies with fluffy ears and tails…" Skurd pointed out.

"Noel…" both sighed, quickly grabbing the blond of the trio.

"I wasn't going near them," Noel argued, embarrassed at being caught.

"For now, but we do know you and cute things," Makoto spoke.

"How often when I go Ditto do you carry 5 around?" Ben asked as a reminder.

"Mmm…" Noel pouted, "I can't help it. They're all adorable and remind me of your baby sister, Makoto."

"Eh, my youngest baby sis is way cuter," Makoto replied, "But that's just my bias for my fam."

"Come on, Noel. If I compare this right to what I remember to the mall in our Bellwood, there should be a pet store you can enjoy watching the animals at this way," Ben noted, leading the two into a semi-hidden path, going down it halfway before stopping, "...So how long are you gonna be following us?"

"Eh?" Noel pondered.

"What? We don't just do the normal kissing and couple stuff…I consider training to be a fun date, Ben-kun picks up skills fast, too. Like how to tell if we're being specifically followed," Makoto explained.

At the end of the alley behind them, a figure stepped out, poking her pointer fingers together. She was roughly as tall as Noel with long flowing pinkish-red hair with fennec fox ears and bushy fox tail. She wore a white tube top with gold trim underneath a cobalt-blue plaid sleeveless jacket with gold detailing, a plaid cobalt-blue frilly skirt, a black stocking on her right leg and a shoulder-length black glove on her left arm She had a white belt with a large frilly light-blue bow on her left hip and light-blue glittery shoes. She looked up at them, revealing her left eye was a rich azure while her right eye was a brilliant gold.

'Oh my goodness, she's adorable!' Makoto and Noel thought.

"A-Ano…" the fox-girl stammered, "H-How do you know about Ban-kun's Omnitrix?"

"...Ban…not…Ben…?" the three tilted their heads.

"Um…Maybe we should start with names? Nanaya Makoto," Makoto spoke before gesturing to Ben and Noel, "Tennyson Ben and Vermillion Noel."

"K-Kannazuki Sora," the fox-girl replied before adopting a worried look, "Wh-What's going on here? Why are you looking for Ban-kun? How do you know about the Omnitrix? A-And why does he look like Ban-kun if he gelled his hair for three hours every morning?"

"Hey~I spend thirty minutes in the bathroom every morning tops," Ben argued as Skurd started laughing.

"Not helping your case," Noel admitted.

"Just be glad I talked him into shaving more regularly…" Makoto whispered, "It's patchy…no good…"

"Hey…" Ben complained, "One day…" he sighed, "A-Anyway!" he held up his Omnitrix towards Sora and activated it for extra measure, "Well…I'm kind of…Ban…from…another dimension."

"Eh?! H-Honto?!" Sora gasped, her ears sticking up in surprise.

"Ah…" he nodded, "My world is a…no, it's a LOT different." he explained, "But we're here to help him. Someone is after anyone with an Omnitrix and trying to take them…at the expense of their owner's life in most cases. The me of this world…my Alter…that is to say Ban…from your perspective, I'm the Alter…" he rambled.

"We're the good guys," Noel spoke up.

"S-Soka…" Sora noted, "You mean this 'Eon' person Vermillion-san spoke of is after Ban-kun?"

"Maybe we should have muffled her when she went on a thirty minute rant about the enemies of love…" Makoto mumbled.

"You sound like you know this Ban guy." Ben changed the subject.

"A-Ano…" Sora blushed as she held up her uncovered hand, showing an engagement ring, "He's my fiance."

"Oh, that's ni-wait, wha….?" Ben blinked a few times.

"Sugoi~!" Noel squealed, stars in her eyes, "Congratulations, Sora-chan!"

"Y-You don't look much older then us…Is…is that a normal thing in this dimension?" Ben asked.

"I'm not sure," Sora replied, "Ban-kun likes to move to his own rhythm."

"Sounds like a version of Ben alright," Makoto nodded, "Any chance you know where we can find him?"

"Mmm…We have a date today and-oh! I-I'm going to be late to meet him at the Burger Dojo!" Sora gasped as she looked at a nearby digital clock.

"Maybe if we come with you, you can help us ease the story to him so he won't…panic?" Noel offered.

"You just want their life story?" Makoto asked.

"Let me have this~" Noel replied with an excited smile.

"Well…we are here to help him," Ben muttered, "But I don't want to intrude on their date…"

"True…true…" Makoto nodded.

"This is m-more important," Sora assured, "W-We tend to have to change plans when we have dates, anyway."

"Well at least it seems like this version figured out how to be a better romantic partner earlier than I did," Ben chuckled.

"Oh, um…we did see a ninja chasing Chamalien, though…"

"Oh…Navy blue? Only their eyes visible?" Sora asked, earning nods, "That is Ban-kun's cousin, Yumi. More than likely, he'll get away in an hour after the chase started."

"Eh…so Gwen's counterpart is named Yumi here?" Ben noted, "And here she's a ninja…wait, why? Why is she a Ninja?" he blinked.

"Your family isn't a Shinobi clan where you are from, Tennyson-san?" Sora asked, tilting her head.

"No…we're space police," Ben summed up.

"Ben-kun is actually the best Hero in our world, and is mentored by his Grandpa to keep galactic peace." Makoto smiled.

"Eh? In your world, you're the one following the family tradition?" Sora blinked.

"Tradition?"

Sora nodded, "Ban-kun is meant to be the heir to the Juuhoshi clan, but he doesn't wish to be."

"Eh? He's the heir? I thought it was his cousin from how you talk about her." Makoto noted.

"Unfortunately, their clan is a bit…strict about who can and can't succeed." Sora muttered, "That and Ban-kun doesn't like…the Shinobi lifestyle. He likes sleeping in, he loves meat based foods, he is too impatient for stealth…and the biggest point of contention…he dislikes doing nothing while people are in need of help." she explained, "His clan trains in very old ways…but they also tend to prefer neutrality. Ban-kun can't just stand by and do nothing if he can help. He wants to use his Omnitrix to help…" she looked at her ring, "It's how he saved my life."

"Huh?"

"When I was young, I lost my parents to assassins," Sora explained, "The people who did it took me and put me in the Chaos Arena, a place where underworld dealings were made. For three months I was there, afraid for my life and having to fight in the pit where you had to survive feral beasts. One day, they brought Ban-kun in when he was nine. His first action? He beat up one of the other prisoners that stole my food." She put a hand to her cheek, "We spent a year together as a team, protecting one another in the pit. Him handling short and medium range combat and myself medium and long range. A few days after he turned ten, a meteor crashed into the pit during one of our matches. Within was the Omnitrix."

"Guessing Ban being Ban reached in and it stuck to his arm?" Ben guessed, earning a nod.

"He turned into what we thought was an Oboro Nyuudou and got all of us released," Sora explained, "He carried me away until he changed back to normal and we were found by his clan whom had been searching since he was kidnapped." She smiled, "Ban-kun refused and argued with them until they took me in as well, making me his retainer. We spent a whole summer traveling, letting Ban-kun learn how to use his Omnitrix to the best of his abilities. Though…we did use it to have fun, like his moth form Dai-Yuki to sneak into closed arcades to play games in secret or using HAY31 to practice his sleight-of-hand on arrogant and cruel people and use the money for gifts for others. I think what confirmed to me that I truly fell in love with him was using his Enenra form in secret to create fireworks after it was discovered that the ones an event was planning to use had been ruined. He used his smoke bomb supplies to create different colors and his big finale was of a dog and a fox protecting one another and making it look as if they were playing."

"You sound like you've had a wonderful life together!" Noel beamed happily at the story.

"Sounds like stuff a good Ben would do." Makoto smiled, "Mine has been fighting alien invasions, averting the end of the world and on the regular facing evil maniacs while helping folks for just as long."

"Sounds like your guys Omnitrix is still the same Gen 1 model but it's evolved a lot to suit your world's style." Ben noted, "But it's good to know in this world my Alter is still a good person. I probably shouldn't talk about the family drama, but as long as he's doing good I really don't worry about his personal life."

Sora nodded, "I can direct you if you drive."

"Fair warning it's a very cramped back seat…" Makoto muttered.

"...unless you have a means that would make it less cramped," Noel guessed as she looked at Sora.

"You don't know the technique, Nanaya-san?" Sora asked in surprise.

"Technique? What technique?" Makoto questioned, tilting her head…before Sora was engulfed in a burst of blue flames and a small pink fennec fox sitting down looked up at them, "...Ah…"

"...I love this world so much…" Noel gasped out with a low of awe as she held herself back with all her will from rushing and picking up the pink fox.

"...Wait…can you do that?" Ben looked at his girlfriend in honest interest, "I…I mean, I joked about it in the past, b-but…can you?"

"I…I don't know…" Makoto whispered with wide eyes, "...babe, I think I'm having an existential freak out!"

"Could be worse for you," Skurd noted, "Your little twin sisters or, heaven forbid, your literal baby sister learn how to do this at their current ages."

Ben held an arm out and a fainted Noel fell into it, hearts fluttering off her.

"Okay that…does seem adorable…but this…this is the type of ninja manga magic nonsense I wondered if it existed here…" Makoto gasped, "I…I must learn…"

Sora put a paw to her lips as her eyes curved in an amused look.

---

After sufficient time, the trio waiting in Azmuth's personal abode heard the door open as Lambda and Azmuth entered. After a moment some aliens dragged in the armor clad Benjamin who groaned in pain.

"Hmm…yes…the sting of stupid. Feel that…it's called wisdom," Azmuth smirked.

"I…didn't see that strike coming…." Benjamin groaned as he pushed himself up, "Thou are a skilled warrior, Madam Phoenix Bard."

"Mmm…" Lambda smiled a bit.

'Does everyone sound like that?' Mai thought.

"Good now listen well, we have a new danger approaching…and in no am I telling you…so you can go and fight it now!" Azmuth growled at Benjamin.

"I most certainly wasn't planning that…"

"You would," one alien deadpanned before they made their leave.

"Oh fine…I would…" Benjamin muttered.

"We don't know the danger…but most likely…like these fine travelers it comes from a world beyond ours…but similar in some way or another." Azmuth explained, "...It's an evil you from another reality of dark magic…" he groaned in disgust from wording it like that.

"Egads! A doppelganger?" Benjamin asked.

"Yes," Tsubaki replied, "Which is why we have come to provide assistance in fending him off."

"Well…if thou are anything like the fair Phoenix Bard Lambda here, then I would be most welcomed for the assistance," Benjamin replied with a smile before seeing Maximilian, "Grandfather?! What happened to your mullet and beard? One has vanished and the other has shrunken!"

"I'm another version of your grandfather," Maximilian replied, "One from a reality of light magic that has made it my mission to protect other versions of you from 'light magic' realms from the ones of 'dark magic.'"

"I feel your pain," Azmuth whispered while Benjamin took a moment to think on what Maximilian said.

"Verily! T'is an honor, other Grandfather," Benjamin kneeled.

"Bens sure do tend to take this very well…" Tsubaki noted.

"They are pretty open people," Maximilian chuckled as Benjamin stood up, "Still, we need to be ready for whenever this other Ben finally stops going in circles on the ocean." he shook his head, "How they're good at driving but horrible at operating boats, I will never understand."

"I may have angered a water fae once," Benjamin recalled, blushing, "But I am quite skilled at driving a carriage or riding upon a noble steed." he patted a satchel on his hip, "Though the one bequeathed to me by Azmuth is still my preferred method to traverse the land."

"I built a motorized twin wheeled vehicles with a complex suspension system using rudimentary iron from this cave system and what little hard light technology I could scrape together…" he explained, "He…built a horse head from metal and just welded it to the front of it…and calls it a steed…"

"Ah…Good bonding experience," Lambda smiled.

"You're a very positive natured dumb-dumb, aren't you? I can't hate that, but please do not trivialize the pain of dealing with this boy…" Azmuth groaned.

"...Azmuths really seem to like Noel and Lambda…" Mai noted.

"That is true," Tsubaki agreed, "I mean, our Azmuth doesn't scold them as much as he does us when he needs to come to Earth because of something related to the Omnitrix."

"How lucky for him, your Azmuth still has access to actual advanced civilized technology," Azmuth groaned as he then tapped his staff, "Seems the blip I picked up is slowly getting closer and closer to shore. By my best estimation, he should reach Bellwood's harbor within…I'd say a couple of hours. Whatever odd craft he is using seems to pick up speed for a moment…then slows down."

"I am fine with the wait," Lambda noted as she sat down nearby and tuned her lute, "I have an instrument this time."

"You know you don't actually have bard magic from the game, right?" Mai muttered.

"Dragon lady," Lambda replied, making Mai go silent, "Mmhmm…that's what I thought."

"And like that, she is my favorite of you three girls," Azmuth chuckled.

"Huh…I have never seen a blade like yours before," Benjamin noted, looking at Excalibur resting on Tsubaki's hip.

"It is a very powerful magic sword from my home," Tsubaki explained, "Though as I recently learned, it is…very particular as to who can wield it, as an unworthy person did…not fare well when trying to steal it." she added in the hopes warning of the dangers could dissuade a Ben from asking to touch it.

"Ah, say no more," Benjamin kept his hands visible, "It reminds me of the tale of Sir George and his slaying of the Dragon with a blade no other could wield."

"Oh, you also have a Sir George here?" Tsubaki blinked.

"Yes, why is that so surprising?" Benjamin blinked.

"In our world, our Benjamin claims Sir George was the only Knight he respected and formed an odd bond with as they fought the same beast together," Tsubaki explained.

"The Dagon," Lambda explained.

"Truly?! Oh, I am quite jealous of this other me," Benjamin noted, stars in his eyes.

"We never witnessed the battle, but the Gwendolyn of our world confirms Benjamin and Sir George were the only ones who could challenge the beast," Tsubaki went on, "But even then they only held it off 'till rather precarious events worked in tandem to let Benjamin win the day."

"Hmm…so yours is seemingly more competent when it comes to being a champion of combat." Azmuth noted.

"In working with his alien forms, yes," Lambda replied, "Sir Benjamin is better in being his normal self."

"Bah…humans are soft and squishy…you have no exoskeletal armor or enhanced musculature…also your brains are so big…but don't work very well," Azmuth listed off his complaints about humanity.

"And yet, we are a tenacious race always working to overcome hurdles in our way," Tsubaki replied, "Even if the planet is covered in a toxic invisible gas with mutagenic properties in vast quantities, we'd simply live on the mountaintops and slowly work to dissolve the toxic gas in order to reclaim the lost lands."

"You're not disproving my point…" Azmuth argued.

"Oh, I'm trying not to," Tsubaki noted, "We don't have any of that, but neither does many other races have them. It's more important to instead of pointing out the flaws, you look past them at the person beneath." she gestured to the Omnitrix, "The Azmuth of our world made his Omnitrix as a way for someone to understand that all life is the same on the inside by allowing the user to 'walk a mile in another's shoes.'"

"Is it too much to ask your weirdly large brains actually offer comparable intelligence?" Azmuth sighed with a slight smile. He then jumped down to a table, "I get the feeling your worlds…are more to my liking. But enough of that. Benjamin, you and I will go to your actual Grandfather and warn him of this…visitor."

"Understood."

"Oh! He did say he was going to make some great sea cucumber and earthworm stew with a good cornbread made with chunks of roasted duck while we were leaving," Mai noted.

"Is she part Gourmand or something?" Azmuth blinked.

"No. She has a powerful tongue and she can only eat foods made by certain people," Tsubaki sighed.

"Oh…so that's why she licks things at random…" Azmuth nodded.

"...You owe me so much…" Mai hissed at a blushing Lambda.

"...I consider us even," Lambda pouted.

"Alright then, I guess we'll just wait for them to make landfall," Maximilian spoke, "Prepare for battle and what not."

"So…if they are on a boat…are they pirates?" Lambda asked.

"That's…oh who am I kidding? A Pirate Ben probably would be a thing…" Tsubaki groaned.

"And knowing him…he'll probably be too overconfident in thinking he can lead a ship by himself," Mai sighed as well.

"...I imagine Captain Jack Sparrow…" Lambda admitted, "Down to the funny hat."

"It's called a Tricorn." Tsubaki explained.

"But it is still a funny hat."

"Not inaccurate…" Tsubaki shrugged.

---

"How did I get stuck in the back again?" Makoto pouted.

"Hey…person in the back gets to hold the magic fox girl," Ben argued in a tone that showed how little he wanted this argument between the girls again, "Checks and balances."

"Mmm…" Makoto pouted as Sora gave a yip and Ben turned left before she gave two yips after passing a few crossings and he went right, "I swear I will learn this technique. It's way too useful and a perfect prank on those who don't know I can do it."

"Also you still have a weird knack for being a stealthy girl." Ben joked.

"Of course I am," Makoto winked before Sora gave three barks and Ben pulled over outside of a fast-food place themed after a dojo, "Guess this is the place we're gonna be meeting Ban."

"I really dig this world's aesthetics." Ben chuckled as he turned the car off and stepped out, "This will be the first time meeting an Alter of myself who hasn't lived the same life."

Sora hopped out, changing back to her normal self in a puff of flames. She looked around before smiling as she walked over to a dumpster. She rapped the top of the lid six times. A moment passed before two knocks came back and the lid opened, letting Ditto peek his head out, his outfit more in the theme of a ninja's outfit. He sighed in relief on seeing Sora.

"Oh thank Amaterasu, Susano'o, and all the other benevolent Kami," Ditto noted as he climbed out, "I didn't keep you waiting long, did I, Sora-chan?"

"No, no," Sora assured as Ditto changed back into Ban, letting her kiss his cheek, "I just arrived. I heard that Yumi-chan was chasing you all over…again."

"Ugh…Jii-chan is being a pain again. So I had to escape after getting dragged home," Ban explained, "While she left me in a room tied up, I was able to transform and escape."

"Ah mou…" she sighed, "This is just not your day, ne?"

"It feels a lot better now that you're here, Sora-chan," Ban smiled, making her smile while blushing; He then blinked, seeing the three watching them from a distance, "Uh…who are your new friends?"

"Oh…this…is…you from another dimension," Sora motioned to Ben.

"Oh…me from another dimension…EH!?" he shouted at that, "Oi Sora-chan! That's too fantastical for a prank! And I know you're not a fan of science fiction! What's happening here!? Who are you!?" he pointed at Ben, "You have my face!"

"Like she said," Ben replied as he held up his Omnitrix, "I'm Tennyson Ben; a you from another dimension."

"Nani?!" Ban gawked.

"I was just as surprised, Ban-kun," Sora noted.

"...I'm going to need some burgers for this explanation," Ban sighed, "What else is gonna happen today? Someone targeting me?"

"Ano…"

"...Sora-chan~!" Ban whined.

"Huh…It's like watching you and Noellie when she has to tell you bad news, Ben-kun," Makoto compared.

"Hehehehe…it kinda is," Ben chuckled.

"Eh?" Noel blinked.

"You are kind of bad at it when you really don't want to upset someone." Ben smiled.

"It's why we love you. You're kind and gentle when you need to be…but…you're also fierce and scary when you need to be. Like when it comes to hating Eon and his variations," Makoto giggled.

"Alright, let's just hope he doesn't panic any further." Ben sighed.

"AH! I have no money!" Ban cried, falling while crying large waterfalls of tears, "I left my wallet at home…"

"...I'll pay since we're kinda indirectly spoiling your date night," Ben offered.

"Praise be to Inari-sama!" Ban cheered, bowing to Ben, "The night is saved!"

"Oh, Ban-kun…" Sora rolled her eyes as she covered her mouth with her glove-covered hand to hide an amused smile.

"Yep…they are the same…" Makoto and Noel chuckled sheepishly.

"Oh come now. It can't be that much of a similarity," Skurd scoffed.

"Someone dropped a platinum Sumo Slammers card," Makoto spoke up.

"Where?!" Ben and Ban asked, looking around.

"I stand corrected," Skurd sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.

"I can't find it!" the two shouted, scurrying around as blurs of speed, "Did you find it!? No! DAMN/CHIKUSHO!"

"...I forget. Is platinum important?" Noel asked Makoto and Sora.

"Rarest variety," Makoto replied.

"Only ten are made each series," Sora added.

"Oh…" Noel blinked a few times as she opened her purse and pulled out an open card pack…all of them being platinum, "I thought platinum was the normal."

"AHHH!-!-!-!-!" Ben and Ban shouted at that.

"What kind of luck do you have, Noel-san?" Sora asked in bewilderment.

"Kinda makes sense. Our old time's currency was platinum. Not even two years now and most of us from our old timeline are still struggling to understand that platinum is a lot rarer in the 21st century," Makoto shrugged.

"I feel there is a lot of stories to share over a good meal," Ban noted to Ben.

"Oh trust me…it's a real weird trip…even before I met the love of my life and all the chaos that followed…" Ben sighed.

"So…you don't want them?" Noel blinked.

"Yes, Noel-sama!" both Omnitrix users bowed to her.

"You'll get them after we deal with Eon," Makoto ordered.

"Hai," Sora agreed with a nod.

"Eh/Huh?!" both gawked, "Aw man~!"

"I have plenty…I don't mind," Noel spoke.

"Yeah…But that will make them work harder," Makoto smirked.

"A reward is always sweeter once you earn it," Sora smiled before pulling Ban into the fast food place, "And I have been famished after worrying."

"Say good-bye to your wallet, Ben-sempai," Ban noted.

"Why do we have a type…?" Ben muttered.

"Because we are the best kinda fun," Makoto grinned as she pulled him and Noel in after the two, "Sooner we eat, sooner we find Eon using Noellie's senses, and sooner I get to learn how Sora-chan did that!"

"All of the yes!" Noel cheered.

---

"Anything yet?" Tsubaki asked as Lambda looked out at the sea, the group standing at a port with a few boats parked.

"...Yes," Lambda replied, her visor on, "A boat is going in circles."

"...It has to be him…" Tsubaki sighed, "What's it look like?"

"Black Pirate ship…Jolly Roger…looks like a twisted Omnitrix."

"Of course…wh-"

*BANG!*

"Ahh! What…!" Mai began.

"He shot at a parrot…and picked up a peanut that was on the deck," Lambda replied, "...He said 'my peanut'..."

"...So it is a pirate Ben…" Mai groaned.

"...Benjack Sparrow….I dub him that."

"How is he lost…h-how can they not see the shore?"

"...He just shouted Land ahoy~" Lambda spoke looking through her visor again, "And now he's saying…Man the cannons…ugh fine…man and woman the cannons…Oh, whatever just shoot…uh-oh…"

"MOVE!" Tsubaki yelped as the group quickly jumped out of the way of an incoming cannon ball.

"...Well…now we know they're here…" Maximilian sighed as the ship turned and was now becoming more and more visible as it closed in, "That…is a fast ship."

"Too fast for a galleon to move…it must be augmented with some form of alien technology," Tsubaki spoke before yelping as more cannon fire went off.

"Treasure Planet Benjack Sparrow?" Lambda tilted her head.

"Can you save that for later?" Mai asked.

"It helps with stress…" Lambda admitted.

"Hold it! Hold it! Ho-!" a voice shouted from the ship before it skid to a halt, letting a figure fly out as they crashed into a nearby barrel, "...ahh…bloody parrot…"

"Don't shoot the birds…unless you want the fiesta ending," Lambda noted.

"...Duck Season on VR?" Mai guessed.

"Second-to-last time he had me help with Clockwork," Lambda replied before frowning, "Bad doggy."

"That's putting it lightly," Mai muttered before shuddering.

"Ugh…" the figure in the barrel groaned before pulling himself out, revealing himself to be another Ben, though he looked much scruffy and unkempt, wearing a black, white, and green clothing consisting of long sea boots and long, hard-wearing linen trousers, a knotted striped-green sash tied around his waist, a long black coat with a menacing looking skull and crossbones with the Omnitrix emblem in its open mouth on the back, and a faded-green waistcoat and a torn white undershirt, "When I get back home…I'm going to send that parrot off to my cousin. Should never have stolen it from her in the first place."

He stopped before looking around and grabbing around in the rubble 'till he pulled out a dark Tricorn hat. Looking it over, he dusted it a bit and put it back on with a smile. He then turned and saw everyone looking at him.

"Hello…This is not the pirate you're looking for," he waved his hand.

"Yes you are," Lambda replied.

"Curses…" he complained, "Ah! What's that?!" he shouted and pointed behind them, making all but Tsubaki turn, "Well that normally works…hup!" he ran off before he jumped into the water and began swimming back to the ship, "Lower the rope, you idiots!"

"...Yep. He's Ben, alright," Tsubaki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I see nothing…" Lambda kept searching.

"...Did you believe him because he's a Ben?" Tsubaki asked.

"...Mai did too…" Lambda pointed out.

"Why are we pointed this way?! We can't shoot! I have to do everything myself…" at that, someone was kicked off the ship, "Hah! Now we're even! I know you did it for the bird on purpose!"

"Uh huh. And who's the son of a walrus who ended up getting us lost in that Eye of the storm the first time?" a voice retorted.

"...You're still not letting me live that down, are you?"

"Nevah!"

"...Parrot," Lambda spoke once the group saw Pirate Ben walking to the side of his ship, the Murakumo unit noticing a parrot adorned in green, white, and black feathers resting on his shoulder, "...Island Maccaw."

"Ah good…someone who knows what proper species I am," the parrot muttered, making the quartet tense a bit, "In fact, I used to be a brilliant shade of red, yellow, and blue until a certain someone snatched me from his cousin!"

"She owed me a boon…but she had neither rum nor gold…" this Pirate Alter Ben sighed in annoyance, "Nothing but books…books…and her own nonsense…I found a bird who could squawk like a man...in multiple languages…I figured that would make business easy with all the bastards who don't speak the king's English…turns out he's a traffing bird who takes more than his fair share…of SEED! We need gold, you buzzard!" he snapped, spooking the bird, "Who wants seeds!? What kind of stupid flying rat are you?!"

"R-Rat?!" the parrot gawked before getting in his face, "How dare you! Who do you think manages the gold in the first place, you rum-soaked drunkard?!"

"...Any chance your name is Skurd?" Mai asked the Island Maccaw.

"Oh why yes, fair blue-haired madam," the parrot responded, taking on a more calmer tone towards her.

"Oi…don't talk to the enemy," Pirate Ben deadpanned.

"Well someone has to have manners out of the both of us," the parrot Skurd retorted, "By the way…how's your cheek after that last slap?"

"Bah…I've seen better looking…" he groaned.

"Jack Sparrow…" Lambda whispered to the others, "Totally the same kind of pirate…"

"...She's not wrong," Mai whispered to Tsubaki.

"Belay your nonsense, you stupid feathered rodent! We were asked to do something for the weird sparkly man! I'd like to get it done…to get our reward!" he declared, "An entire ship's worth of gold and Rum~"

"He does know gold is heavy…and would sink, right?" Tsubaki asked.

"Shut up! It would be on me ship and she floats!" Pirate Dimension Ben snapped.

"That's not how science works!" Mai and Tsubaki complained.

"What nonsense do you be spittin'? …No one knows the sea better than a man of it! What would you two know?" he asked in a very annoyed tone.

"Apparently more than you," Mai replied with a deadpan.

"...You are a very snarky lady," Pirate Alter Ben pouted.

"It doesn't work like that?" Lambda blinked.

"Don't you start, too!" Tsubaki complained.

"Fire!" Pirate Alter Ben shouted as the ship fired more cannonballs, "Hahaha! Yes! Reload time! Just what I planned!"

"No you didn't…" Skurd the Parrot muttered, "The gunners just loaded them up in the meantime…"

"Shut it, ye filthy flying rodent!"

"And the bad part of fighting another Ben: you get distracted with their nonsense!" Maximilian groaned.

"Why are you doing this?" Lambda demanded, "You don't seem evil…just stupid?"

"Oi!" he complained, "I am Captain Tennyson! Wanted across the Seven Seas! I am not stupid! A stupid person wouldn't be able to get away with the king's crown…and then lose it in a bar fight while getting his lifetimes fill of rum!"

"You are a fun pirate…but a stupid Ben!" Lambda corrected.

"You're still calling me stupid!" he barked.

"Lambda…you seem good at this. Hold his attention 'till this world's Ben shows up," Tsubaki whispered.

"It's very easy, just like when me and the Ben of our world play video games…" Lambda gave a thumbs up before turning back to Captain Tennyson, "You still lost the king's crown, so you're stupid!"

"Again?! Would a stupid person be able to steal underneath Davy Jones's nose?!"

"Yes, because he'll chase you for stealing from him."

"Oh, I approve of this girl so much. She takes no BS from you," Skurd the Parrot chuckled.

"Ah blast it! You're double teaming me!"

"Is it not obvious?" both asked, causing him to splutter.

"Have you ever successfully stolen something and kept it?" Lambda asked.

"Unfortunately, just me and what he swiped from Davy Jones."

"Ah. …I am so sorry for him, Mr. Skurd."

"Have you tried to swipe from your grandfather?" Lambda asked.

"Hey…" Maximilian frowned.

"He tried once and he was left in just his underwear and a dingy because the man flipped it around on him!" Skurd the Parrot laughed.

"You all will feel my wrath…" Captain Tennyson seethed, his eye twitching madly, "I will dance a jig and sing a shanty upon your graves."

"Not with your voice unless you get extensive singing lessons," Lambda deadpanned, "You probably don't even know any shanties."

"Oh and like you do?" Captain Tennyson demanded.

"Yes," Lambda replied before she cleared her throat, "There once was a ship that put to sea/The name of the ship was a Billy of Tea/The winds blew up, her bow dipped down/Blow, my bully boys, blow~" she snapped her fingers and pointed at the gawking Captain Tennyson.

"You know what? To heck with it…" he dug around his coat before pulling out a black and green case he flipped open to reveal the glow of an Omnitrix.

"...Mistakes were made," Lambda admitted.

"Should not have one-upped him in singing," Skurd the Parrot sighed, "Now he's using what he stole from Davy Jones."

"...Oh shoot…" Mai paled in realization.

"What?" Maximilian and Tsubaki asked.

"The most iconic look for Davy Jones has a beard of tentacles," Mai reminded.

Captain Tennyson pushed on the compass as a green flash made it fade into him before he grew taller and taller and turned into…a rather familiar looking alien. His pirate attire stayed with his new Chimera Sui Generis form, forming a sleeveless coat over his torso with the Omnitrix symbol set in the center of a green and black armored vest, black pants, and a green paratus around the sides and back of his head. His green eyes flashed as he picked up the tricorn hat that fell off…and adjusted it back onto his head with one of his facial tentacles. He raised his glove covered hands and made a knuckle cracking motion despite no sound coming from his hands.

"..." Lambda bowed to the others, "I'm sorry. I take full responsibility."

"Come here, ya little song bird!" he roared, jumping at them.

"Running!" Lambda panicked, running away just as he slammed into the ground.

"Why you…come back here! Don't you dare make a fool of me!" he growled, running after Lambda, though…it was easy for them to notice, rather then crash his way through any obstacle she ducked around…he also did his best to avoid anything breakable, granted he still failed given some poor cabbage cart he fell on…but he did try to avoid it, "Bleh…green foods…horrible things!"

"I refuse to get involved in this," Skurd the Parrot sighed, standing on Tsubaki's shoulder, "I swear, he should have just given the treasure to that star-made floating man that made the sea turn to ice and we'd be on our merry way to see our old friend the Pirate Captain for a good Ham Night…" he sighed again, "I miss that beauty of an avian he has."

"Any reason they're not firing again?" Maximilian asked.

"Those were actually the last of our ammunition. We spent the rest fighting off a leviathan that came after us on our way to port," he admitted, "A pirate he may be, but the boy does not like bringing large-scale trouble to any port."

"No offense…but he doesn't seem very…pirate-like. Shouldn't pirates be more violent and…nasty?" Mai asked, "He's…kind of trying to not cause unneeded damage…ironic as that may be for who he is…"

"He's selfish, crude, arrogant, and cocky…but…he is more of a 'steal from those who can afford to lose it' type of pirate," Skurd explained, "He detests doing pirate things to townsfolk or run of the mill spice traders…He'd rather have the fame and wealth of taking the King's gold supply…then sinking it to the depths of the ocean when cornered so he can escape…"

"Eh?" Mai blinked, "How do you even get treasure?"

"We steal it from other pirates. No honor among our kind," Skurd shrugged, "...Except Ham Night. You never steal during that unless you want several pirate captains after your head and your valuables."

"Your pirates are…very odd…" Tsubaki muttered.

"Despite his looks…he's good at what he does when it counts," Skurd the Parrot sighed.

"I got you now! No place to run!" Captain Tennyson laughed, cornering Lambda, "Surrender, singing lady!"

"Never!" Lambda dramatically declared.

"Gh…you are one willful woman…" he gawked.

"If you want revenge, why haven't you struck me down?"

"Gh!" he cringed at that.

"Does Evil X…not realize even though he's a pirate…he's not a bad person?" Tsubaki realized.

"Maybe…he left out certain details just to get him to comply," Mai figured.

"Aha…see? I captured you!" he spoke, picking up Lambda as his right arm turned into a set of five tentacles, one picking her up.

"I feel no discomfort aside from how cold your skin is," Lambda pointed out.

"Woman, let me have this!" he complained, lightly shaking her.

"No."

"D'oh!" he groaned, smacking his face with his other arm which was still a hand, "What is wrong with you, woman!? I am a walking sea monster…how is this not scary!?"

"Ask me again when you've seen two living embodiments of different worlds that nullify all your powers and turn cute adorable fluffy people into humans or deal with a girl that wants to commit genocide with the power of a musician."

"Oh…I get it…you're loony…" he nodded.

"No, just desensitized."

"Oh yeah…well…we'll see how long that lasts as ye walk the plank!" he cheered.

"...I'd rather not get my clothes wet…" Lambda muttered.

"Aha! A reaction! Point Captain Tennyson!"

"Darn…" Lambda pouted.

"It doesn't work like that!" Tsubaki snapped, making both flinch as Captain Tennyson almost dropped Lambda, "Return our serious concern of you being evil!"

"R-Return…what does that mean?" Captain Tennyson asked, "What nonsense you be talking about, woman!? Return…I've never returned anything!"

"He doesn't know the meaning…" Skurd the Parrot muttered.

"I can still eat you…" Captain Tennyson growled.

"I could filet or burn you from the inside," Lambda retorted.

"Oh yeah?! Well I…"

"Also, how could you eat…if your face is squished in?"

"The devil are you…?!" Captain Tennyson began before one of Lambda's Ancient Flails literally buried his face in, "...Mm mm…mmm m…(Touche, madam…)"

"So this is why Ben complains about Vilgax…you seem very tanky…" Lambda noted that…didn't really do much if anything.

"He took fifteen cannonballs to the face in this form and not even a chipped tooth," Skurd the Parrot noted.

"Mm hmm-hmm mm (Best fifteen doubloons I earned)!"

"So…that's why Ben went so wild against him…" Tsubaki remembered back to the time she witnessed Ben fight their world's Vilgax, "He knows how truly hard it is to fight such a monster."

"Given how similar his form is, he definitely scanned it off the big lug…" Maximilian noted, "That just makes me glad most Bens don't have a…Gax form…"

"Gax?" Mai repeated.

"It's what most 10 year old Bens who gain a Chimera Sui Generis form call it," Maximilian explained, "Gax is actually a common addition to names on their world."

"Wow," Mai blinked a few times.

"Hm…Question," Lambda noted, pulling her nunchuck back.

"What?" the transformed pirate asked.

"Have you ever been hit by an Arburian Pelarota in armor and a warhammer?" Lambda asked.

"I have no idea what that be, but I have been hit with a warhammer before when we decided to check out the sea spice route once," he replied, "But that was in me merman form and lost two teeth. I ate it afterwards and smacked the offender with my tail for a bit. Then stole his pants and hung them off the mizzenmast for a week." he raised a brow, "Why do you ask?"

His response was an armored Cannonbolt ramming into him, making him release Lambda and crash through a wall while Cannonbolt uncurled in knight-like armor and a warhammer on his back, caught Lambda, and asked, "Are thou fine, Madam Phoenix Bard?"

"No problem," she gave a thumbs up, "Ah…but he's getting up again." she pointed.

"Okay…you…you I punch 'till ye stop moving, savvy?" Captain Tennyson cracked his neck a few times.

"Never seen a fae like this," Cannonbolt noted.

"Chimera Su Genesis," Lambda noted.

"...Huh. Azmuth said that before," Cannonbolt recalled, "It was the name of the race of…of…oh, I am going to get some experiencing fighting one here?"

"Yes," Lambda replied.

"Come here, you chunky armored bastard!" he shouted, tackling Cannonbolt into a few walls.

Lambda stumbled as she jumped out of the way in time as the two aliens began their fight. She looked as Captain Tennyson lifted and tossed Cannonbolt through another wall before chasing after him…but one of his tentacles slithering back and depositing a few gold coins.

"Chaotic…but…not evil…" Lambda noted, "He's just really dumb…"

"Have at thee, foul kraken!"

"I take it that was the version of my foolish captain just now?" Skurd asked, landing on Lambda's shoulder.

"Sir Benjamin, yes."

"Might I ask for a good fighting tune, madam?" Skurd requested.

"Ooh~" Lambda smiled.

"Why do you seem so familiar?" Captain Tennyson grunted, lifting Cannonbolt and tossing him away.

With that, the two clashed as they tumbled along the ground only for Cannonbolt to be flung into the air and left to slam down. Captain Tennyson sighed only to yelp in pain when a hammer struck him from behind. He growled, turning his arm into tentacles as he lifted Cannobolt up into the air. He smirked before yelping in pain once again when Cannonbolt began biting down on the tentacle near his mouth.

"Are you trying to infect me with your stupidity!?" Captain Tennyson shouted, tossing Cannobolt into a building.

"He…is most sturdy…like trying to take down a fortress…" Cannonbolt groaned. He then grunted when the full weight of a Chimera Su Generis slammed down on his back.

"Hopefully that will teach you not to mess with a Pirate captain…I need to put up a strong front for my crew or they'll keep disrespecting me!" he huffed as he walked off only to get struck by the hammer again, "Of course you know…I need to hit you back…" he growled, spinning around to punch as Cannonbolt who blocked with the shell on the back of his hand…but the force still sent him flying back.

"Gufaw! Oof! Ah!" Cannonbolt yelped as he bounced along before landing by Tsubaki and unrolled himself, "Anyone get the number on that runaway steed?"

"Maybe change to a different form?" Tsubaki suggested.

"Excellent idea! Oh…wait…wait a moment, Lady Tsubaki. I haven't been taught that yet," Cannonbolt admitted…before Tsubaki tapped his Omnitrix and, in a flash of light, was swapped with an armored Daimondhead with a jagged sword, "Egad! Tis a most gracious thanks I give to you, Lady Tsubaki."

"Think you've got him?" Tsubaki asked.

"Oh-hoh. This form is one of my favorites," Diamondhead chuckled.

'My Ben and probably many versions of him would agree on that,' Tsubaki thought.

"Oi. How did you do that?" Pirate Ben asked before tapping the Omnitrix symbol on him, "Bloody thing always kept giving me the wrong form most of the time."

"I keep telling you to look when you transform, but heaven forbid you listen to the parrot," Skurd the parrot shook his head.

"Silence, you colorful rooster!" he snapped before flinching as he was bombarded with crystals that shattered upon impact, "Ah! Ow! St-Stop that!" he grunted in pain from the barrage.

"Normally when Ben does that, he makes them explode…" Mai noted.

"I suppose our Ben really did master Diamondhead," Tsubaki muttered.

"That's 'cause most Ben's get trained by a master fighter who's also a Petrosapien," Maximilian explained, "More than likely your Ben also learned those many skills from a warrior named Tetrax. He was his hero when he was small…a heroic space bounty hunter who hated Vilgax just as much. It was one of the few aliens he could train like that from someone who knew the tricks."

"I think Noel mentioned him once about that hoverboard Makoto and Ben use when not using his bike," Tsubaki recalled.

"Will you stop shooting me?!" Captain Tennyson grunted as he picked Diamondhead up by his arms, "Fine…you want to be a rock…let's see you sink like one!" he jumped towards the water with the intent to drag the Petrosapien in with him.

"Oh no you don't!" Diamondhead growled as he managed to get an arm out and aimed it ahead, firing a blast of crystals that made a pillar before them, causing Captain Tennyson to hit it face-first and drop Diamondhead, who made a slide of crystals down to the ground, "Take that, foul squid!"

"Grr…" Captain Tennyson growled out in annoyance, pulling his face out of the crystal and leaving an indent in the shape of his face in it, "You know...I'm starting to see why rival crews are ired towards me so…" a shadow came over him, "What's huh?" he looked to see a large sword made of Diamondhead crystal swinging down at him, "Oh you have got to be kidding me…"

"I can't tell who's actually causing more damage anymore…" Tsubaki muttered as a large dust cloud was kicked up.

"You missed! I was right here and you missed!?" Captain Tennyson laughed as more fighting was heard.

"Y-You moved!" Diamondhead argued.

"I did not! You just suck at swinging!"

"...Should we just wait until they time out?" Mai asked.

"I am rather enjoying this myself," Skurd chuckled as the parrot nodded along to the tune Lambda played on her lute.

"He really doesn't strike me as…an evil Ben…just…greedy and selfish…" Tsubaki pointed out.

"Well sometimes the good can still show…even if he's a troublemaker," Maximilian sighed.

"True…"

"So many tentacles!" Diamondhead panicked as he was picked up again.

"Hahahaha! No one likes tentacles!" Captain Tennyson taunted.

"They really don't," Skurd the Parrot blurted.

'Even when our Ben isn't here…I still get a headache from his nonsense…' Tsubaki thought, her eye twitching.

---

Ben shuddered, "Oh boy…I think I've indirectly angered Tsubaki again…"

"Tsubaki? Is that the name of your Yumi-san?" Sora asked, the group near a construction yard.

"No. My cousin is named Gwen. Tsubaki is my former apprentice and now my commanding officer," Ben explained, "Grandpa leaves punishments to her…and they often result in pain from a reinforced paper fan to the head. Only time she isn't giving the punishment is when she's the one in trouble."

"And it's often rare," Noel added.

"And yet she still has the most trouble when it comes to her driver's license," Makoto snickered.

"Sora-chan has been having trouble getting hers, too," Ban chuckled.

"Parallel parking is crueler than the Chaos Arena," Sora muttered, blushing in embarrassment.

"And yet you are adorable when you give it your all on something," Ban winked.

"B-b-b-b-Ban-kun~!" Sora stammered.

"Makoto passed the test due to good defensive driving," Ben chuckled.

"Can you believe I lost a point cause I swerved to miss a mime?" Makoto chuckled.

"Honto?" the two asked in surprise before Ben held a hand out, making them pause, "Eh?"

"..." Ben looked around, "Please tell me you've been feeling eyes on us."

"Hai," Sora nodded.

"Is it that Eon guy?" Ban asked, glancing around.

"He's close, but not sure where," Noel replied with a frown.

"Best keep your Omnitrix armed and ready, B…" Ben began as he took a step before yelping as he was pulled up by his leg stuck in a rope up to a roof, "AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Ben-kun!"

"Shimatta! That was a Yumi trap," Ban cringed.

"Ben-kun?!" Makoto called out.

"Ugh…I'm…okay…it's just all really dark…and I imagine upside down…" he groaned.

"Hah! I mean oh no…but she failed! Hah!" Ban laughed, "But…don't worry, Me from another world, we'll help!"

"Take your time. I'll just hang out," Ben replied.

"Must you?" Skurd groaned.

"What? I joke when things get like this."

"Okay Yumi, ya messed up! You can let him go! I got more important stuff now so I'm not playing the ninja game!" Ban called out.

"Skurd, cut him down! I'll catch him!" Makoto called out.

"I'm rather enjoying his sudden dizzy spell." Skurd argued.

"You cut my boyfriend down or I'm dunking you in the pickle jar again!" Makoto snapped, "With extra jalapenos!"

"...d'oh fine…ruin my fun, why don't you.." Skurd muttereded as he formed a pseudopod he extended and formed a Pyronite skin around the tip to burn through the rope.

"AHH!" Ben screamed, landing in Makoto's arms, "Ah…oh, I love you and your strength."

"Aw…I love you, too…now…why is this so normal you're not even complaining?!" Makoto turned to Ban.

"She's always been crazy…" Ban shrugged, "That and she gets mad when I play hookey on lessons."

'...Oh yeah. Tsubaki would not like you…' Makoto thought, an amused smile on her lips.

"She does seem much more…intense then Gwen…" Ben muttered, "More like if Gwen and Tsubaki fused into one angry red haired girl…" he whispered to Makoto.

"Huh…" Ban frowned, "Normally, she would've spoken by now."

"She has more manners than that…" Sora muttered.

"Then what could've happened to her?" Noel pondered.

"..." Ben frowned, narrowing his eyes, "Who else?"

"...Eon," Noel whispered as her eyes narrowed.

"Finally someone realizes it," Eon's voice spoke up, making the group tense as they looked up at a nearby tree, seeing him standing on a branch while keeping an unconscious Yumi tied up next to him, "Honestly I was waiting on someone to realize it…but then again, most Bens are rather…slow."

"Oi!" Ban snapped as he pointed an accusing finger at Eon, "I got a Solid B at best when I was forced to go back to school for history class! Also…put my cousin down ya creep!"

"Oh? You want this girl?" Eon taunted as he held Yumi up.

"I want her!"

"You want this girl?"

"I want her!"

"Uh Ban…" Makoto began.

"You want this girl?"

"I want her!"

"Ban dude…" Ben began.

"You want? You want?" Eon further taunted before a green flash went off.

"I want my cousin!" Armadrillo-in Ban's colors and had a more armored warrior theme to him-shouted as he reeled his fist back, preparing to punch him before he suddenly stopped mid air, "?!"

"Honestly…you'd think you'd see it coming considering you're a ninja," Eon shook his head, his free hand glowing as he held it out at Ban.

"I take it you guys don't visit this dimension often." Ben spoke, tapping the Omnitrix as he turned into Diamondhead before he punched the ground, causing a crystal hand to form behind Eon and grab his head before smashing him into the ground. "But…oh…I'm so used too Eons it's not even funny,"

"Well…" Eon spoke up from behind him, making him tense up as the others jumped back in surprise, "None of them were as…smart as me when it came to my time powers."

"...oh crap baskets he's pulling a Dio," Makoto realized.

"Hmm.." Diamondhead muttered before he formed a giant crystal spire from his back, making Eon grunt and jump away, "Maybe…but thanks to someone I can't say no to…I read a lot of manga that abuse time manipulation."

"Ah! He means me!" Makoto cheered.

"Tsk…" Eon vanished again only to appear again as he stopped before another Crystal wall cutting him off from the girls, "How…"

"I tricked you into aiming at her by pointing her out." Diamondhead admitted, "It's surprisingly easy to know what a bad guy will go for if you say it outloud."

"So…you aren't like most Ben's either…you're somehow really good at this?" Eon laughed, "That just makes this more interesting, here I was getting bored with this~" he held his arm out as he flicked his wrist and formed a knuckle duster shaped device which projected a blade of dark purple energy.

"Hmm…" Diamondhead frowned as he swung his right arm out and made the naturally shaped crystal armor over his hand extend out into a long blade, meanwhile his left extended out along the sides to form a hexagonal shield, "Hey Ban? Can you hear me dude?"

"MMMM!"

"Okay just checking if your breathing is all, I'll get you out…eventually…hang tight…"

"MM!"

"I know I know…" Diamondhead frowned as he began clashing with Eon.

The two swung and clashed multiple times as Eon vanished time and time again, but it seemed his sneak attacks did little damage to Diamondhead as he used his defenses to his advantage. Diamondhead suddenly grunted when a spear of energy hit him in the back, making him turn as he slashed at eon, only to end up hitting nothing before another spear hit him in the back.

"You may have a means in countering my powers, but…" Eon's voice began before Diamondhead was suddenly surrounded by a multitude of floating energy spears, "Can you handle this many at the same time?"

"And now he's ri-gh!" Diamondhead grunted as he was hit by another energy spear, "Copying Piccolo?!"

"Seems more like something Xemnas would pull in Kingdom Hearts 2 actually," Noel noted before noticing the look Makoto gave her, "...what? I like those games."

"...Sora and Kairi?" Makoto guessed in a deadpanned tone.

"...mmm~ I can't help it," Noel whined a bit as she cried small tears, "They're just so sweet."

=Oh sure it's not like I'm not fighting for my life twice over…= ReBoot sighed as he moved Ban's Armadrillo form away from danger.

"Ah! You used ReBoot!" Makoto gawked.

=Hey if the bad guy is gonna cheat and use new tricks, I am gonna use a really broken alien= ReBoot sighed.

"Interesting. Never seen a Ben with this form," Eon noted.

=Hey that's kinda neat, I have weird digital life form alien no other me does…never considered that…= ReBoot muttered. He then vanished as a glitching blur as another energy blast almost hit him.

"Wha…where is?" Eon blinked as he froze time and looked around, "Impossible…what did he do? Become invisible?" he looked around before flinching as time began moving, the moment it began moving he was struck from behind by a green beam which knocked him along the ground.

=Can't actually see something that moves at the speed of data huh?= ReBoot laughed as he formed multiple floating swords before aiming them and making them open up to form laser cannons.

"Speed of data?!" Eon exclaimed as he quickly vanished to dodge the lasers, quickly reappearing in a different spot, "How is that possible?"

=Well this guy is like a living computer virus that got spliced into the Omnitrix and given DNA form…it's not the first time it's happened=

"He…he can really move that fast?" Sora asked with wide eyes.

"Well he has used it to stop an entire end of the world computer virus about to cause untold damage to the world…all while saving a mind controlled Makoto, and fighting an evil crazy lady…and taking no damage and with almost little effort. Ben has even said with this form he can think so fast…we all move in super slow motion." Noel explained what she knew of this form, "But the…high speed thinking is why he doesn't like using it. It feels like it takes forever for him to change back and it's very…trippy according to him."

"In short…this form is broken," Makoto added, "If not for Ben hating the highspeed thinking thing, he'd abuse the heck out of this guy."

"Maybe it's a good thing my Ban-kun doesn't have this power." Sora muttered as more explosions went off.

"Gah!" Eon grunted as he was sent flying back, vanishing for a moment before reappearing on the ground, "You truly are..much different from other Bens…which makes you in particular dangerous."

=Oh trust me…= ReBoot began as he reappeared behind him, making him tense before teh two clashed blades =I've fought so much worse without this guy=

The two clashed blades as they began jumping around at speeds no one could track. Only appearing in different places as the two abused their different means of traversing the battlefield at immeasurable speed. They would swing only to end in constant fakeouts as the other vanished from their attack. The two stopped at different sides of their impromptu arena before both began to seemingly glitch with their own energies building up. Before both began charging forward and clashing resulting in a small shockwave as they clashed at their top speeds due to their powers. Only Eon flinched as his attack went through ReBoot…who turned his body into untouchable data making him akin to a hologram. Eon grunted as ReBoot phased through him before stopping midway through.

=So…neat thing…I can alter my mass between being a living hologram or being hard light with mass…so…it seems we are in an awkward moment of…lets hope we don't move the wrong way cause last time I messed with this trick, Jin was tasting color and speaking in tongues for a full 24 hours= ReBoot chuckled.

"Ooh I remember that day….he still shoots daggers at yeah," Makoto recalled with a wince.

"So…you got me?" Eon asked with a slight chuckle, "You…are indeed a strange Ben…not even Prime Ben Tennyson has shown this level of oddness…"

=What can I say? I like to be creative, especially if I have someone who thinks…well like me= ReBoot chuckled.

"Ah yes…the rat woman."

"...the fuck did he just call me?" Makoto whispered as her eyes dangerously narrowed.

=Babe…please don't waste the effort, let me take care of the trash= ReBoot spoke.

"...hmm…" Makoto pondered for a moment, "...ok fine…but…" she paused as a glint appeared in her eye, "Give him the Big-O treatment."

=Only for you~= he smirked as he finished phasing through Eon making him flinch for a moment.

Eon blinked as two ReBoots formed and punched him at the same time, sending him flying back. As Eon corrected himself in mid-air he was struck by another ReBoot copy and kicked back down to the ground. Eon grunted as ReBoot appeared before him again and smacked him with a giant hard light construct sword. Eon grunted as he was able to right himself and skid along the ground. He quickly froze time just as multiple ReBoot copies were about to punch him from both his left, right, above, front and behind. He ducked down and rolled out of their path just as all these copies slammed into one another. He then flinched when his feet suddenly sunk into the ground. Eon gasped as ReBoot appeared before him, his arm drawn back as data began forming around his arm, Eon panicked and swung his energy blade…only for it to slice through and break ReBoot apart into bits of data. Only for his eyes to widen as Armadrillo burst from the ground and swung his arm right at him. Eon grunted as he tried to activate his time stop but flinched as even in frozen time…his body was held in place by shackles made of hardlight. Eon grunted in futile effort to break free…but eventually his power gave out and time began moving.

With a thunderous boom the piston of the Talpaedan arm pushed in and powerful force rocked through Eon's body and launched him up into the air. Eon gasped in pain as the last thing he was able to see…where countless ReBoot copies were flying at him with their arms held back as gauntlets formed around his arms with pistons before each began punching. To most all the could see where multiple shockwaves as Eon's body was rocked and juggled around the air before one final shockwave slammed him into the ground with ReBoot pinning him down.

"Ya give, you time manipulating yaro?" Armadrilla questioned as he walked up next to ReBoot.

"..."

"...oh I think we knocked him out."

=Well he's not teleporting away…= ReBoot muttered as he jumped off =Eh…Eon's are weirdly sturdy…=

"Oh…you just did the most amazing finisher ever…" Makoto awed, "Do it again!"

=At this point it be a Fatality babe…= he chuckled.

"Please don't say Fatality…" Noel whispered as a haunted look appeared in her eyes.

=Ah…you are so sensitive…= ReBoot sighed, =I told you; Noel we are going to play some gruesome games…but you said you could handle it…=

"You failed to mention it was horrible bloody violence!" Noel argued.

=I was trying to be subtle…but hints fly over your head all the time=

"They do not…" she pouted.

"Aw it's alright, just cause you're short doesn't mean we don't love ya~" Makoto changed the subject.

"I am not that short!" Noel kept pouting.

"Least you're not grossed out anymore," Makoto pointed out.

"Mmm…using anger to make me forget things is not a trick I enjoy!" Noel complained.

"You are often quite naive when it comes to certain things," Skurd pointed out.

"Wh-?! I am not naive!" Noel argued with a blush.

Sora giggled, "They're all quite an interesting group. Ne, Ban-kun?"

"Well this Alternate Me sure has some good company," Armadrillo chuckled, "I think they are a riot~" he dragged Eon by his leg, "Now…what…do we do with this…?" he poked him earning a groan of pain.

"Have you met someone by the name of 'Paradox' yet?" Makoto asked.

"Paradox?"

Makoto held up a finger and spun her arm around to point to the side as a man was crouched down looking down at Eon, poking him a few times. He had very well coiffed brown hair dressed in a blue suit with rust red pinstripes, with bright red converse trainers, and folded in his arms was a duster coat. He muttered to himself while taking out old fashioned Red-Cyan 3D glasses as he used them to scan Eon over a few times.

"Well…ya literally knocked the sense outta him…or put him into a coma…bloody hell Ben…" he muttered scratching his hair before standing up, "I know you don't like him but…this is just overkill lad."

"...Paradox?" Armadrillo guessed as he changed back into Ban.

"'Ello there Ban…is this our first time meeting…well it's not for me…this is…I don't even recall the number for me…oh shoot does that mean you haven't gotten stuck on that cruiseliner that gets hijacked by aliens yet? Ooh…wasn't supposed to tell you that…" he cringed, removing his glasses and putting them into his blazer. "Do me a quick favor…forget all of that…like…eventually…"

"Ha?" he blinked.

"Atta boy!" he smiled, "I tell you…some versions are not very quick on the uptake…" he whispered to everyone other than Ban.

"Oi I can hear you still!" Ban complained.

"Right, this is my part of the job where I put yet another Eon into the time prison run exclusively by us Alters of Paradox as you come to call us." Paradox of this world smiled to Ben, Makoto and Noel, totally ignoring Ban's complaints.

"Fine by me," Ben shrugged before noticing Noel glaring down at Eon, "I'm sure he's overstayed his welcome…"

"Romance ruiner…"

"Well that's my cue to get rid of him, you have a way home Ben, do take care of that Grandfather of yours…Ban…duck." Paradox smiled.

"AH!" Ban panicked as he did so just as a bola flew over him, "We just saved you! Not even one favor! This is why I will pass the family name on…and not you!"

"D'oh~! Ban!" Yumi exclaimed in annoyance.

"So…should we let this happen?" Makoto asked.

"Well…we saved him from Eon…" Ben muttered.

"I don't think it's within our right to get involved in this…" Noel added.

"No! Get involved Ore from another world!" Ban panicked, running up to Ben, "You are crazy strong! Much stronger then me!"

"I just have a broken powered alien…" Ben muttered.

"Ah mou~!" Ban groaned as he quickly ran off, Yumi quickly chasing after him, "Sora-chan, tatsukete~!"

"Ah…Yumi-chan don't we have some good will for all this?" Sora asked.

"We did save you from a super time manipulating lunatic," Makoto added.

"...He gets the rest of tonight," Yumi acquiesced before raising a brow at Ben, "Why does he resemble Ban but looks like he uses three hours and an entire container of hair gel while in the bathroom each morning?"

"...Yeah, I'm gonna rework my hair when we get home," Ben deadpanned as Skurd cackled while Noel and Makoto couldn't help the giggles they developed.

"Oh!" Noel pulled out five of the platinum cards and gave them to Sora, "For Ban-san."

"Oh! I'll make sure to give them to him later," Sora smiled as she put them in her tail before pulling out a scroll and bowed to Makoto while presenting it, "And this is for you, Makoto-san."

"...Yes…" she whispered as she looked it over and stashed it in her tail.

"...Why do people with fluffy tails all have this ability?" Noel asked, "It makes me want a fluffy tail…"

"Best be careful wishing that, Noel-san," Sora warned, "Fluffy it may be…but the maintenance is arduous."

"Why do you think I have an entire budget…just for shampoo…" Makoto sighed, "Why do you think I keep my hair short? I need at least a little less work."

"But…it's so fluffy…" Noel tried to argue only for Makoto to gently bop her with the tail, "Fluffy…how do you hurt people with this?"

"Lots of effort and training," Makoto smiled.

"That was also quite arduous to learn. Some days it felt like my tail would fall off," Sora noted before pulling out a scroll, "But I do have this. It's a technique for turning your clothing into another 'pocket' for objects." she bowed and presented it to Noel, "Please accept this as a thank you for helping Ban-kun."

"Ooh~" Noel awed as she took it, "That could be helpful…" she looked to Makoto, "C-Could you please hold onto it for me?"

"Alright," Makoto chuckled, presenting her tail.

"Oi! Ore from another world, don't you want to ask for anything before we part ways?" Ban asked.

"Not really," Ben chuckled, "I'm not much of an actual fighter untransformed."

"But he is better than he used to be. I made sure of it. Training Dates for the win~!" Makoto cheered.

Ban chuckled, "Turning down an offer of a reward. Yep. Just like me."

"Sides, I'm just after a bigger threat, so let's just leave it at…keep up the good work, Me," Ben laughed, "Who knows? Maybe one day we can work together and kick villain butt again!"

"I hope so," Ban smiled as the two fist bumped, "Go and kicck butt, Ore."

"Good luck here on your end, Me," Ben smiled as the two Omnitrix began glowing faintly as they pulled their arms away, Skurd the only one to notice.

'Fascinating…' Skurd thought, rubbing his nonexistent chin in interest.

---

"Do…Doest thou yield…?" Diamonhead panted, flat on his back and wheezing along with Captain Tennyson in the same position across from him.

"N-Never, ye…yes scurvy scallywag…"

"I am so glad this universe's Gwen thought it would be a good idea to cast an avoidance spell on the area," Maximilian sighed, shaking his head at the stubbornness of his alternate grandsons.

"At least this proves he has the stamina for handling Vilgax," Azmuth noted on Lambda's shoulder as twin beeps went off before a red flash went off and replaced the two aliens with their human forms.

"Gah…blast…" Captain Tennyson groaned, pushing himself up only to flip over so now he was face first in the ground, "Grrr…"

"Well…he'll be sleeping well tonight," Skurd the Parrot muttered.

"Huzzah! Victory is mine!" Sir Benjamin declared, swinging his arms up only to freeze, "Ah…I regret that…regret so much…"

"Same with my calfling," Azmuth sighed.

"Though now we are at a conundrum. We don't have a way to return home unless we take the young knight's device," Skurd the Parrot admitted, "And I doubt the people of this place will be all too thrilled with our motley crew."

"Is it safe to dock yet?" a voice called from the ship.

"Not yet, Mr. Rook!" Skurd the Parrot shouted back.

"Avast…I dare say…he's almost as difficult to kill as well…me…" Captain Tennyson groaned, "Oh well… We tried. Someone call that snippy doctor fellow to take us home!"

"Wait…you know Paradox?" Tsubaki realized.

"Aye!" he grunted, "He met me…in a dream…that or I was drunk off me own arse…"

"...You mean we had an exit this entire time…and you never told me?" Skurd the Parrot asked, a growing anger rising in his tone, "Mr. Rook! Prepare for the Sobriety Treatment for the captain later on!"

"Sobriety Treatment?" Tsubaki repeated.

"We put him in a sack and dunk him in the ocean," Skurd the Parrot explained, "Repeatedly until sober."

"I shall turn you into roast bird if you try that again! Belay that order!" Captain Tennyson shouted.

"Oh dear, seems he's worse than I thought. Make it a double, Mr. Rook!" Skurd the Parrot called.

"So…you really aren't evil?" Mai blinked.

"Meh…" he shrugged, "I was just bored of escaping death constantly and somehow almost being sacrificed by natives on remote islands each week…" he groaned at the memory.

"We're Peace Mains, not Morganeers," Skurd the Parrot huffed.

"Huh?"

"I've heard of those terms in the multiverse," Maximilian noted, "Morganeers are what one would think of a stereotypical pirate while Peace Mains are more explorers that like looting Morganeers more than other folks."

"So you…just messed around in another world for fun?" Mai blinked.

"Aye…Why else would anyone take a stupid deal like fight yourself…" he looked at Sir Benjamin, "Only far less handsome…"

"The devil are you talking about?" Sir Benjamin frowned before taking on a bit of a pose, "I happen to be quite the target of many a maiden."

"Princess Attea still wants to make you her dark lord," Azmuth deadpanned, making him trip up.

"...Oh you have one of those, don't you?" Captain Ben whispered.

"...yes."

"...I feel your pain, only mine's more of a…possessive amazon I had the unfortunate luck to encounter."

"I'm starting to think most Ben's…don't actually understand how to have actual relationships…" Tsubaki muttered.

"Thankfully ours does." Mai sighed.

"They keep each other in balance," Lambda added, "...and Ben Sparrow is taking Sir Benjamin to his ship…for rum."

"Wh-?! Oh no you don't!" Tsubaki shouted as she ran off, quickly grabbing Sir Benjamin's arm as she quickly dragged him.

"What? Rum helps in dealing with things such as this!" Captain Tennyson argued.

"He is a knight and must behave as such!"

"People don't invite you to parties do they?" Captain Tennyson blinked.

"Not everyone enjoys rum, idiot," Skurd the parrot rolled his eyes.

"...what kind of witchcraft are you spewing?"

"...and you often wonder why we often get lost."

"I ain't the navigator," he argued, "That be Mr. Wheels."

"You are one goofy pirate…" Lambda muttered.

"Oi. I ain't goofy," Captain Tennyson argued as he turned to face her, "...I'm Captain Tennyson."

"Still goofy."

"...I don't know whether to hate ye or like ye for yer bravery," Captain Tennyson sighed in exasperation.

"The Phoenix Bard is a strong woman, indeed," Sir Benjamin noted.

"I really hope there be a version of her in me seas that wouldn't mind becoming the crew's musician."

"No, La-chan, down," Mai ordered, dragging Lambda away.

"Phooey…" Lambda pouted.

"You have a Bluey at home that would be sad if you left and Noel would be sad," Mai pointed out.

"...My Blupee…and my sister…"

"You are a very 'in the moment' girl…" Mai sighed, "You are just as odd as Noel…"

"Well, we are sisters…" she shrugged.

"So…that's…it?" Tsubaki blinked, just to be sure.

"Aye…" Captain Tennyson sighed, "I have nothing more to do here…" he shrugged while turning towards the ship, "You heard me, you lot of idiots…pack it up!"

"Aye, captain!" Multiple voices shouted from the ship.

"Now we need the funny man in the paper glasses and we be good to sail."

"This is how I imagine Ben would act as a pirate…" Mai sighed.

"Hmm…so all versions of this boy are hopeless cases." Azmuth sighed.

"Eh, it depends on how you look at it," Maximilian chuckled, "They may seem that way at first, but beneath that? There's a resourceful young man who will always follow what he believes is right."

"Hmm…well he hasn't disappointed me yet," Azmuth stated, "I suppose he'll be worth keeping around."

"Well…this adventure has come to an end, so I will be happy to get out of your hair…and thank you for all the rum!" Captain Tennyson cheered.

"Wait. What Rum?" Tsubaki blinked as they turned to see several crew members, both human and alien, lifting barrels up into the ship. Some scrambling to complete this task upon being spotted, one being Rook in a pirate bandana.

"You don't need it, now do ye?" he asked as he grabbed a rope which was pulled and dragged him back onto the ship, "Let's call it even for not killing ya!"

"D'oh…Tennyson~!" Tsubaki shouted.

Captain Tennyson laughed as the ship sailed off, "Ye will always remember this as the day that ye almost caught Captain Tennyson of the Seven Seas!"

"Well…Aside from the battle and the thievery, that other me was not as bad as thou made me believe," Sir Benjamin noted.

"Honestly, that's the second time we've had a you that was more or less forced into being the bad guy," Mai admitted.

"Bad Bens are…rare," Lambda noted, "It takes a lot to make one bad."

"Well said, Lambda," Maximilian chuckled.

"I'm just glad this is all over…" Mai sighed, "I guess our work is done here."

"Doesn't feel like we did much," Tsubaki noted.

"I don't know. Feels like you did more than enough," Azmuth noted, "The warning you gave had the Calfling prepared enough to fight and the distraction Lambda gave did allow the Calfling a chance to see how he contends with a Chimera Sui Generis."

"Really durable," Lambda added.

"And the Vilgax of our world is like a cyborg, with dangerous biological enhancements" Tsubaki added, "We never really gave Ben credit for the fact he fought that monster since he was 10."

"No kidding…" Mai whispered.

"But we also don't want to praise him too much…" Lambda shrugged.

"Yep, we can't let him get ahead of himself and brag again," Tsubaki chuckled, "Thankfully, Azmuth is such a harsh mentor this one will never have that issue…for more than a moment."

"Exactly! You think this is a win?! HAH! This just means harder training! I need you to win next time!" Azmuth declared, "Time for the pits of magma!"

"Oh not again..." Sir Benjamin groaned.

"No crying, Calfling!"

---

"So…an entire world of Knights and magic…and a Pirate world?" Ben asked as everyone reconvened on the Rust Bucket.

"Correct," Lamba nodded

"And you dealt...with another Eon and basically a ninja version of yourself?" Mai asked back.

"Well, he comes from a ninja family…but he doesn't want to be one." Ben corrected, "But…I mean…yeah he's Ninja Me. Named Ban Juuhoshi."

"It was amazing!" Makoto declared, "There are people like Beastkins just walking around…and nothing was wrong! It was amazing! And people in that world can Jutsu into their animal theme."

"...You wanted to learn how to use it, didn't you?" Tsubaki asked with a sigh.

"..." Makoto held the scroll she was given, "...I will learn~"

"So you're gonna turn into a squirrel…?" Mai asked.

"Yes," Makoto nodded.

"...Do you think you could turn into a Greedent instead?" Mai joked.

"May-hey~!" Makoto frowned, "I am not a chubby dummy who hides berries in her tail."

"And I finally get that joke," Ben noted with a chuckle.

"Boyfriend should be on my side." Makoto pouted.

"It is kinda funny if you think about it," Noel couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"But…wait…what kind of squirrel would you even turn into?" Lambda asked Makoto, making her pause for a long moment, "Wait…you don't know what kind of squirrel you are?"

"Well of course I do! It's the Kagutsuchi Island Squirrel," Makoto replied before blinking, "Which doesn't…exist….yet…"

"Just adds another level of how special you are," Ben noted with a small smile.

"Good work, Ben-kun, extra boyfriend points!" Makoto smiled.

"Well…I think it will be cute. Oh! And you can teach others how to do it!" Noel smiled, "Imagine all the Beastkin who would love to turn fully into their animal."

"...You want to see the Kaka kitties as literal kitties, don't you?" Makoto asked.

"I would, but I don't think they'd focus long enough to learn it," Noel admitted.

"Already too cute. That is too much power," Lambda added.

"Yeah, no. Not gonna be doing that," Makoto shook her head, "And especially not teaching the Koko puppies, either, for the same reasons."

"Oh, that reminds me. One of the Koko had triplets while you were away on that world-hopping trip caused by Diend," Tsubaki recalled.

"Eh?!" Noel gasped.

"That sounds so adorable~" Makoto awed.

"It's nice to hear things are going well for them," Ben spoke up, "Just shows we got a lot to fight for back home."

"Hmm…" Maximilian smiled while listening to them, he then let out a small sigh as he tried not to let his emotions get out of his control. He was happy to see a Ben who was still fighting, and had amazing friends keeping him grounded. But…it just caused him to miss his Ben more and more as he thought about it.

"Hey Grandpa…Grandpa? Grandpa?" Ben spoke, making Maximilian blink, "You okay? You zoned out on us…" he asked while putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning in close, "If you want, I can drive now you know?" he chuckled, "Just tell me where to go."

"N-No, Ben…it's okay," Maximilian shook his head, "Thanks though. You're just as cocky as my Ben, thinking I trust you to drive my Rustbucket."

"Oh come on, Kevin gets away with it, but I don't get to?" Ben joked.

"Hey now…that's different. Most times Kevins steal them," Maximilian chuckled, "I like the kid…but while I trust him to take care of my Granddaughter…my Rustbucket was never on the table."

"Yeah…well…if you need a break, just tell me Grandpa." Ben smiled, "I know I'm not your Ben…but as I see it…you're still my Grandpa, so just tell me if you need a break, kay?"

"You got it, Kiddo…I'll set our next destinations…and maybe take a little break." Maximilian smiled.

"Good." Ben smiled, "Let's take it easy okay? Leave kicking Evil X's behind across the multiverse to me."

"Right," Maximilian nodded.

---

A jovial atmosphere was on display in a busy saloon, humans and aliens about just enjoying drinks, smokes, and a game of cards. The atmosphere was shattered by a massive steel boomerang tearing through the top half of the building, sending its reinforced sign spiraling into the air. The workers and patrons quickly fled as laser shots open fired, tearing apart what remained of the saloon, obscuring it all within smoke from the shots landing and ripping through tables, the jukebox, and anything that the shots could. The boomerang flew through the air before benign caught by what looked to be Kangaroo Kommando, but his jumpsuit replaced with a leather vest, a black button shirt, dark-orange bandana over the lower half of his mouth, and leather pants with a long coat sporting a kangaroo print. The only thing left standing on the saloon was the dented and battered sign…that fell over, revealing a young man in a black long coat and stetson with green detailings on both, the symbol of the Omnitrix on the left lapel of the long coat…while he sipped a smoothie, unbothered by the destruction.

"Well…we finally found ya!" the man with the boomerang laughed, "The Ten Billion Bounty man~ The Walking Wildfire…the Human Hurricane…Badluck Ben~"

He lowered his drink as he slapped down a coin on the counter before getting up and picking up the bandolier he left hanging off his seat and adjusted it. His entire left arm was revealed to be covered in a long black leather glove that went up to his elbow and seemed kept in place by multiple straps. He had brown hair which was shaved along the sides and the rest was long enough to let dangle as bangs over his face, a very neutral and unconcerned expression on his face. He reached for his gun and pulled it out, revealing it to be a black break action revolver with a bulky long barrel, before aiming at the posse that was chasing him down…

---

SZ: Welp…we go from knights, pirates and ninjas..to cowboys next.

GT: Eeyup. It's gonna be pretty crazy as we go on.

Z0: Well to be fair things need to get weird or else…it's just the same Ben over and over again…

GT: Eeyup. Gotta keep ya on your toes.

SZ: Yup…*puts helmet on while holding up blaster*And keep an eye out for anything…creepy.

GT: Like those instances of SCP-3199 chasing after our RV because Z0 rammed through their containment unit while looking at the map we just bought?

SZ: No...I refer to the EMMI from Metroid Dread…

Z0: Hey! *leans out the window as growling and hissing follows before I return while covered in black blood and a monster head* I told it no biting…

GT: …Well…while we're getting to our next stop, please Read and Review, folks. Each one fills us with joy.

Z0: Oh the other side now! Pig take the wheel! *a potbelly pig walks out of the closet and takes the wheel while I hang out the side to fight another monster*