"Toughest guy in the galaxy?" a deep, husky voice boomed. "That would be me!"
The source of the voice was a brown, humanoid dinosaur that towered at nearly fourteen feet tall—though to most around the world, he was known simply as Humungousaur. He charged towards his foe, a red and silver top-shaped robot with a singular red optical cluster array, as the ground trembled with each step.
The robot's arms spun around its body, suddenly slamming into Humungousaur's head, sending him stumbling backward into the side of a building.
Giving him no time to recover, the machine's mechanical appendages took another swing alien's head, but Humungousaur narrowly dodged, leaving the blow to strike a section of the building instead.
Humungousaur's fist flew into the side of the robot's body, launching it down the street. His bright emerald eyes scanned across the immediate vicinity, keeping watch for more civilians. Pro Heroes herded away most civilians from the ongoing battle as a crowd formed at the end of the street, but a few civilians remained in the area, idly observing on the sidewalk or cheering him on. Similarly shaped blue robots were previously a part of the red robot's forces, but after Humungousaur's pummeling, their inert bodies remained scattered across the streets.
Humungousaur's focus returned to the fight, reflexively catching an incoming swing from the robot. With a satisfying crunch, he tightened his grip against the robot's arm, swinging the automaton around and bringing it down into the street below with a loud thud.
"It's time to end this!" Humungousaur roared, rearing his fist and descending it against the robot's head in a deafening strike. The blow resounded through the city, with the robot collapsing beneath the strength of Humungousaur's blow. The impact caved the robot's red metallic casing, leaving a dent the size of the alien's fist.
Victorious over his defeated foe, his eyes as he stared at the robot and its allies' bodies. "I don't recognize this kind of robot at all," he thought. "It's almost like they came out of nowhere. I'll have to ask Grandpa when I get back. Could be the sign of a new villain on the rise."
Humungousaur lowered his body, bringing his scaly visage closer to the robot's prone form. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he rumbled.
The robot slowly lifted its head, its sensors meeting the unwavering gaze of the emerald-eyed alien. "I," it rasped weakly, "I surrender."
A smirk widened across Humungousaur's face as he reclaimed his upright position. "Good answer."
The civilians and Pro Heroes spectating broke into roaring applause, cheering for Humungousaur's victory, with a collective chant of "Ben 10! Ben 10! Ben 10! Ben 10!" filling the air.
The alien slammed his palm against the Omnitrix node on the center of his chest, engulfing his colossal form in a flash of green light. As the light faded, in place of the towering dinosaur humanoid stood a brown-haired teenager.
But before he could even address the civilians, civilians pressed in from every angle, surrounding him. Cameras thrust forward in his face, lenses capturing every moment. Among the crowd, various voices clamored for his attention; some were press members asking for an interview or a statement, some were fans asking for his autograph, while others were Pro Heroes wanting to express their gratitude to the global phenomenon that was Ben 10.
"Ben 10! Excuse me, Ben 10! Just a statement if you would, Ben 10!"
"Hey, Ben 10! Could I have an autograph?"
"Great work again today, Ben 10! I wanted to know if I could team up, but I wasn't sure where to contact you!"
His gaze swept across the sea of faces, acknowledging the well-wishers, the curious, the adoring fans, and the fellow heroes who sought to pay homage to him. But for each hand shaken, another reached out; for each question answered, another question asked; for each autograph signed, another paper thrust in his face. It wasn't as if he disliked the attention received from his superheroics as Ben 10; he thoroughly enjoyed indulging in the attention of his fans from around the world. Heck, many even considered him to be the unofficial Number 1 hero of America!
But he didn't have time to interact with all of his fans like he usually did—he had plans to talk to Grandpa Max about the robot's origins. As he continued to sign autographs and hastily agree to team ups with other Pro Heroes, it gradually grew painfully clear to him that he had a long evening ahead of himself.
Or so it would have if he didn't possess the most powerful device in the universe; the Omnitrix.
He usually avoided back-to-back transformations because they lowered the time he could spend transformed as one of his aliens, but in situations like these, Ben felt he could make an exception.
The camera's lens pressed close, and beside it, a reporter—a voice amidst dozens—posed a question that bore the weight of millions of expectations: "We're live right now in Bellwood with the Ben 10. Ben 10, what would you like to tell the viewers at home tonight?"
"Just one thing." A smile curled at the corners of Ben's lips as he activated the Omnitrix, eliciting various gasps and oohs from onlookers. Rotating the dial, he cycled through each holographic avatar of his aliens before stopping on a holograph of a humanoid pile of goo. "It's hero time!" With a declaration of his iconic line, he slammed down on the watch, and a flash of emerald light enveloped him.
"XL—I mean, Goop!" The declaration resonated with a high-pitched voice, a voice that belonged to the lime-green humanoid mass of goo that stood in his place. A small, UFO-shaped device levitated up into the air, stretching his slime physiology upwards.
He peeled away from the cluster of spectators, his body quickly reforming into a humanoid shape once he landed. A glance over his shoulder back at the crowd captured a few glances of surprise from among the crowd. He ran away, his goop squelching against the street and leaving splashes of muck on the pavement.
His escape didn't come without protest as the crowd took chase after their hero, their disappointed and enthusiastic voices trailing behind him.
"Come back, Ben 10! I need my questions answered!"
"Whoa! I haven't seen that one!"
"What about the people at home, Ben 10! We want your answer!"
"Sorry, guys!" Goop shouted back, waving at the crowd. "Maybe another time! There's someone important I have a meeting with!"
A rusted camper van grumbled to a halt in the middle of the street intersection, and its door swung open. A redhead stretched her arm to the Omnitrix's wielder from inside the vehicle he fondly recognized as the Rustbucket. "Ben! Get in!"
"Gwen!" Goop cheered, quickening his pace. The sounds of the demands of the civilians became a distant hum as he leaped into the vehicle, the door slamming shut behind him with a solid thud. The Rustbucket's worn engine hummed to life before it drove into the city.
Goop slammed against the Omnitrix node on his chest, returning to his teenage self in a flash of green light. "Thanks," Ben smiled, sitting at a table near the door. "But how'd you find me?"
With a knowing smile, Gwen pointed at a television mounted to the wall that displayed a live feed of the city, its screen showcasing the Rustbucket driving off. To Ben's surprise, there were very few complaints about his departure, and most of the press in the area had switched to talking about Goop. "That was one of Ben 10's newly unveiled transformations," the reporter narrated into the camera, "a form he calls Goop! What form do you think he'll reveal next?! Stay tuned!" The screen immediately flickered off.
"I forgot I haven't used Goop much in public. Well, at least now they have something to talk about."
From the driver's seat, a voice chuckled with hearty endearment. "It looks like trying to deal with those crowds is tougher than fighting aliens, huh?"
"You could say that again, Grandpa," Ben leaned back in his seat. "But it's nothing I couldn't handle!"
The three of them chuckled, but Ben's expression momentarily hardened as his thoughts slipped back to the robot he had fought earlier, the sight of Humungousaur's fist flying at its head flooding back into his memory. "Just where did they come from? Something about this isn't sitting right with me. What did they want?"
Max's observant gaze caught the nuanced shift in Ben's demeanor, his eyes noticing it from the driver's mirror. "Everything alright back there, Ben?"
"Yeah," Ben's expression softened into a smile, "I was just thinking about that robot from earlier. Do we know where it came from yet? I was thinking it might be a new enemy."
"I know what you mean, Ben, but don't worry about it too much. The Plumbers are investigating it right as we speak."
"Before you continue," Gwen interjected, pausing any further questions from Ben, "there's something we should tell you."
"Oh, sure thing." Ben's brows knit in intrigue, and his gaze locked onto his cousin. "What's going on?"
Gwen's gaze held his, and with a smile, she said, "You're moving to Japan."
A beat. "What?"
ㅤ
Chapter 1: The Hero of Heroes
ㅤ
By the time they pulled into the driveway of Ben's home (after dropping Gwen off at her home), the initial surprise and confusion disappeared from Ben's mind, and his eyes lit up with the prospect of being in Japan. Although Grandpa Max explained the purpose of their trip was to assist the Plumbers in Japan in handling various organizations distributing and utilizing illegal alien technology, Ben could only imagine what it would be like to meet the globally recognized Symbol of Peace, All Might. In the past five years as Ben 10, he had met, and in some cases worked alongside, dozens of Pro Heroes renowned across the country: Captain Celebrity, Star and Stripe, and Captain Nemesis. Yet despite being just as, if not more popular than All Might, an opportunity to meet him never revealed himself—until now.
How in the world could he pass it up?
Ben and Grandpa Max entered inside, where his parents were waiting for them in the living room. They had been watching the news on TV, but upon seeing Grandpa Max enter after Ben, they turned it off.
"We need to talk," Max said, taking a seat on the couch beside the one Ben's parents—Carl and Sandra—sat on. A gesture invited Ben to join them, and he settled on the couch as well.
"Sure," Carl sat up on the couch. "What's going on, Dad?"
"With permission from both of you, I'd like to take Ben to Japan with me for a special undercover mission."
As expected, question after question immediately flew at Grandpa Max from his parents: "Why are you taking him to Japan?" "What about his classes?" "How long will he be with you in Japan?" "Why do you need him to go with you?"
Max interjected with a raise of his hand, "There are various criminal organizations in Japan distributing and using illegal alien technology. You could argue that a similar case could be made for America, and this country has just as many criminals that handle illegal alien technology; there's an important difference. The Plumbers have a more significant presence here, with the primary Earth base of operations lying directly beneath Bellwood. We can't say the same for Japan, which suffers from a lack of Plumber activity, as shown by how widespread the illegal alien technology market has grown. Even though they have more than enough Pro Heroes to make up for it, the fact is that most Pro Heroes don't even know this is happening."
"So why not just send more Plumbers over to Japan?" Sandra asked, her brow furrowed with concern. "Why does Ben have to go with you?"
Max's expression softened into a smile. "Truth be told, Sandra, I think this is a good learning experience for Ben. Ben's done a great job during the past five years as Ben 10, and his fame is a testament to his capabilities as a hero. But while there's a lot that we've taught him, I know there's much more that he can still learn about being a superhero. Handling something on this large of scale might seem like a lot for Ben, but he's proven time and time again, surprising all of us, that he's more than capable of handling it. I trust Ben, and I know that if I take him to Japan with me, we'll be able to stop this distribution of illegal alien technology once and for all."
Max's answer confused Ben because it didn't exactly answer his mother's question. "I get that he thinks it'll be a good experience for me, but it's not like they can't just send more Plumbers to Japan." But as the worry and skepticism previously etched on the faces of Ben's parents washed away as Max continued, Ben figured they were satisfied with Max's answer. It was odd how easily they were convinced easily, though.
Carl patted him on the back. "You're right, Dad," he nodded. "Ben could learn a lot from this."
Ben's face lit up with a smile, "So does this mean that you'll let Grandpa take me to Japan?!"
"Why not, son?"
"Awesome!"
Grandpa Max chuckled. "Don't get so excited just yet, kiddo. We might only be heading to Japan for a few days, but I'll have to teach you how to speak Japanese and proper etiquette when in the country."
"Oh, man!" Ben's smile deflated almost immediately. "How long is that going to take?"
"Normally, it would take about six months, but we don't have that kind of time, so we'll have about two months to teach you Japanese. But don't worry too much about it, Ben. You'll be fine."
He was not.
Grandpa Max's Japanese study sessions in the evening were horrible, often dragging on for hours. Even when Ben was on the verge of passing out from boredom, Grandpa Max kept him going until the session was complete. Ben didn't understand why Grandpa Max had him cover such an extensive Japanese course for a week-long trip. Even after asking him for a reason, Max didn't give him a clear answer and avoided the question each time, telling him to focus on the lesson.
Unfortunately, the length of the sessions was only made worse by how difficult learning Japanese was. Whenever Ben traveled off-world, he relied on the Omnitrix to translate other species' languages to English, so he never saw a need to learn the languages himself. Although he knew a bit of Spanish, Japanese was so fundamentally different than English that he was left confused after most sessions—dozens of words had identical pronunciations, sentences ran backward, and of the dozens of kanji symbols, each had multiple readings for them.
The same applied to learning about Japanese culture. It was difficult enough to pay attention to the sessions about the language, but it was close to impossible to listen to Max's history lessons for hours at a time. Moreover, he found the various nuances of Japanese culture just as hard to remember as its history; when and when not to bow, inside shoes, etc.
And yet, by the start of May, everything he had learned so far began to make sense. He wasn't entirely fluent or an encyclopedia of knowledge, but he felt confident in his ability to speak Japanese and properly use Japanese etiquette. Though, he would never admit that to Grandpa Max, especially after the countless hours he was put through to get where he was.
The day when Grandpa Max and Ben were to head to Japan for their "undercover mission" arrived. Max told Ben the day before to "pack lightly," so Ben didn't put much in his luggage, though he didn't have much he felt he needed to pack aside from his clothes, shoes, and phone.
"Got everything packed, sweetie?" Sandra called from downstairs.
"Yeah, just about!" Ben swept over his room one last time, making sure there wasn't anything else he should bring. He picked up one of his Pro Hero figures, contemplating if he should take it with him. He placed it back down, recognizing it would probably be best to leave those at home given that they were a collector's item. "I'm coming down right now!"
"Dad's waiting for you outside," Carl said as Ben came down the stairs. "How are you feeling about the trip, Ben?"
"Pretty good. Japan sounds like it's going to be awesome! You think I'll be able to meet All Might?"
His parents chuckled as his dad placed a hand on his shoulder, "I don't even know anymore, Ben! With all the Pro Heroes you've met across the years, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up teaming up with even All Might! But look, Ben, I know we say it a lot, but we're proud of all you've accomplished. I know that wherever you go—Japan or otherwise—you'll always be nothing short of incredible. After all, you're the hero of heroes, Ben 10!"
"Have a safe trip, Ben!" Sandra added, tears swelling in her eyes. "If you ever feel homesick, just know that we're always a call or a flight away, so don't hesitate to call us. We love you, sweetie."
Ben grew a bemused expression as his parents said this to him. "What are you guys getting so emotional over? I'm not dying or anything; I'm just heading to Japan for a few days with Grandpa Max for this mission. I'll be back home before you two know it!"
He could've sworn he saw his parents shoot an uncomfortable expression at each other before smiling at him. "You're right," Sandra nodded. "Now come on, bring it in!" The three of them hugged, but Ben found it odd how emotional his parents seemed to be getting over a week-long trip.
"Guess sending me to Japan means a lot to them. I should make sure I bring them a souvenir when I come back."
"I'll see you guys in a few days!" Ben stepped out of his house and waved goodbye to his parents. "I'll be sure to tell you all about my adventures! I'll even bring back an autograph from All Might for both of you!"
The Rustbucket rested on the side of the street, and Grandpa Max was waiting outside of the vehicle with a wide smile. "Alright, kiddo!" Max pulled open the Rustbucket's door. "I pulled all the stops for your first trip to Japan, so we'll ride in first class!"
"Oh, sweet!" Ben entered the Rustbucket, placing his luggage near the back. "This trip just keeps getting better and better! What's next? Are we also stopping at Mr. Smoothy's?"
"No, there aren't any plans for that, Ben," Max chuckled, entering the Rustbucket. Sitting down in the driver's seat, he started up the vehicle as it grumbled to life. "But the condo we're staying at in Musutafu is next to a Mr. Smoothy's, so you'll be able to stop by whenever you want."
"Awesome."
The drive to the airport was nothing out of the ordinary. Ben and Grandpa Max mainly talked about their plans for what they would do once in Japan, such as places to visit and Pro Heroes they might meet there. Max didn't give Ben many details about the undercover illegal technology investigation, so Ben figured he just wanted to wait until they were in Japan to talk about it.
Up until they arrived at the airport, everything had gone smoothly. But being one of the most prominent heroes in the world tends to attract attention, something that Ben didn't dislike. However, it was a different story when dozens of fans asked for his autograph when he tried to check in his luggage. It started with one kid, who Ben was more than happy to sign an autograph for, but it became a different story when people from all across the airport rushed over to get autographs as well. Fortunately, airport security herded away his enthusiastic supporters, allowing Ben and Grandpa Max to board their plane without further incident.
"Japan, here we come!"
"Ben?" Grandpa Max shook Ben. "Wake up, kiddo. We've landed. We're in Japan!"
"H-Huh?" Ben awoke, his voice tinged with grogginess. It took him a moment to adjust to the brightness, but the realization suddenly dawned on him, and with a look out the window, a wide grin grew across his face. "Sweet!"
"Now, I'm sure I don't need to tell you, Ben, but although you're a superhero, try your best to be respectful of Japanese culture."
"You don't have to tell me again, Grandpa. I got it."
The two filtered out of the plane and entered the airport. Even only in the airport, there were so many different things to take in, though the most notable was the presence of Japanese kanji in replacement of English letters. It wasn't anything unexpected, but given it was his first time out of America, all sorts of nuances stood out to him.
The crowds of fans that usually surrounded him in public were notably absent, presumably because few people recognized his appearance in Japan. He wondered if that would change the moment someone got a glance at the Omnitrix. From what he remembered from Grandpa Max's lessons on Japanese culture, they were generally much more respectful than Americans, and he was eager to see if he would be in for a much different experience compared to back home.
"Stick close, Ben," Max said, bringing Ben out of his musings. "Our luggage is right over there. I'll try to find a taxi once we get out of the airport."
After collecting their luggage (with a few people recognizing and greeting Ben), they made it out of the airport and into the bustling city. Ben's mouth dropped as he looked around in amazement—Musutafu was incredible! Compared to Bellwood, which was small compared to other cities he had visited, Musutafu was filled with glorious skyscrapers, busy streets filled with vehicles, and sidewalks overflowing with people.
"Oh! Look, look! Over there!" A bystander's exclamation caught Ben's attention, and he followed the pointing finger, only to find himself the center of attention once more. "It's Ben 10!"
"Ben 10?! Where?!"
"Over here!"
"Ben 10!"
Amidst the various eager voices, Ben playfully rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, give a guy a break! I just got here!" The arrival of the crowd of civilians had Ben's admiration of the city, but as much as he wanted to explore the city as much as he could, he did enjoy the attention given to him by all of his adoring fans.
"Maybe I should make a good impression on my fans here and turn into an alien? I wonder if that'd even be allowed?" As his hand hovered over the Omnitrix, a sudden realization dawned on him: Grandpa Max had seemed to wander off. Or had he been the one that had wandered off? Either way, he hadn't been out of the airport long, yet a surprisingly sizable crowd had already surrounded him, leaving him little room to navigate.
A group of reporters weaved through the crowd, making their way towards Ben as a microphone moved towards his face, an invitation to engage with the attention being directed to him. "Good morning, Ben 10!"
"G-Good morning!" As he greeted the reporter, a collective "ooh" rippled through the crowd that was both flattering and bewildering. "Oh, did I say something wrong?"
"Not at all, Ben 10!" The reporter shook her head dismissively. "Your Japanese is very good for a foreigner! Did you just arrive?"
"Haha, thank you! Yes, I just landed! Musutafu is a very beautiful city!"
Before the reporter could delve deeper into Ben's answer, one of the civilians surrounding him interrupted, "Can you please transform into one of your forms?!" The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, with voices rising to call out various alien names: Spidermonkey, Heatblast, Brainstorm, Arctiguana, etc.
"Well, since you guys asked so politely, why don't I show off a fan favorite? It's hero time!" Ben activated the Omnitrix, poised to transform, but before he could select an alien to transform into, Grandpa Max stopped him, grabbing his arm before he slammed down on the watch.
"Maybe next time, folks!" Grandpa Max chuckled, pulling Ben from the crowd of bystanders. The swirl of voices and excitement faded as the crowd dispersed. "Sorry to do that to you, Ben, but the last thing I'd want is for you to get stuck with those reporters, cycling through your aliens. There's a place I want to take you after we drop our luggage off at our condo."
"Is that related to our undercover mission?"
"Not quite, kiddo! There's a friend of mine that'd like to meet you! I think you'll enjoy what he has to offer."
Ben raised a curious eyebrow. "And what's that?"
"You'll just have to wait and see. Now come with me. The taxi is right over here."
Ben slipped into the car with Grandpa Max, who instructed the driver to take the two of them to a place called Grand View Kachikatsuura. There were a lot of exciting sights to see out of the window—hero agencies, notable shops of interest, and even an ongoing fight between a group of Pro Heroes and a villain. He didn't recognize any of the heroes, but one of them had purple horns and looked like she was nearly as tall as Humungousaur at his maximum height. As the car kept moving, the fight faded into the distance.
The taxi eventually stopped in front of a towering, ivory-colored building that appeared to have nearly thirty floors. It was an impressive sight, yet the condo itself was momentarily eclipsed by a more tantalizing vision—a Mr. Smoothy's right across from where they would be staying. "Whoa!"
"Pretty impressive place, eh, kiddo?" Grandpa Max chuckled, taking their luggage out of the taxi.
"No kidding!" he exclaimed. "You weren't lying when you said that there was a Mr. Smoothy's next to our condo!"
After a few minutes spent searching for their room, Ben and Max finally arrived, opening the door. The apartment was surprisingly spacious, with the entrance allowing both to place down their luggage. Two doors stood across from the doorway on either side, one accessing a tiny room with a washing machine and dryer, the other leading to one of the two bathrooms. It was a standard bathroom: sink, mirror, toilet, and shower. The other bathroom, directly across the apartment, was nearly identical, barring a closet. Beyond the entrance was a spacious combined kitchen and living room area. The kitchen's wall housed the fridge, sink, stove, oven, and cabinets, with a large island centered in front of it. Two sofas separated by a small coffee table facing a huge TV mounted to the wall were in the same general space. The end of the room saw two sliding glass doors opening to a balcony overlooking the city below and two doors leading to both bedrooms.
"Man, this place has everything! You sure went all out for this trip, huh, Grandpa?" Ben had initially found it a bit odd how much Grandpa Max was doing for a trip that was only a week-long, but he quickly realized Max was likely trying to give him the best experience in Japan possible.
"You bet, Ben. Let's head out for a stroll, though. I'd like to introduce this friend of mine to you."
"Sure, but where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Their stay in the condo was short-lived, but Ben didn't mind. He didn't see any point in sticking around when they had better things to do, especially given how early in the day it was. With that, Grandpa Max and Ben were out of the door, down the elevator, and out of the condo, into the Musutafu streets.
Grandpa Max didn't explain to Ben where they were going, leaving Ben's mind to wander with speculations of the kind of place Max had in mind for this meeting with his friend. "Maybe his friend works at a game shop? I bet Japan has all sorts of exclusive Sumo Slammers games for me to check out. I should be sure to check out that new Sumo Slammers movie, Ishiyama's Path of Radiance. Oh, what if his friend works at Mr. Smoothy's? "
The two continued walking before eventually stopping in front of massive tan steel walls surrounding what appeared to be a school campus. Ben's mouth dropped (for the second time that day) as he looked up at the main campus building, a hulking blue structure in the shape of an H that loomed over all else in sight. "What is this place?!" Ben pondered, still in visible awe. He wasn't sure if he was looking at a college, university, or someone's hero agency!
Grandpa Max glanced at Ben's expression and let out a hearty chuckle. "Well, Ben, welcome to U.A. High School! My friend is waiting for us right inside."
"U.A. High School?" The name sounded vaguely familiar to Ben, but he didn't recall where he had heard it from. "What kind of high school is this? This place looks more like an Ivy League college than any high school I've ever seen!"
"That's right, kiddo. U.A. High School is one of the most prestigious hero academies in the world and boasts the best heroics education in Japan. Pro Heroes from all across the country come to U.A. to mold students into proper heroes. Now come on, let me show you to his office."
The interior was even better than the exterior, and Ben still couldn't believe he was walking through a high school. It was odd that Grandpa Max was bringing him to meet his friend in a high school, but Ben assumed his friend was a Pro Hero that would help them during their investigation. "Kind of sucks that we're only here for a week, though," Ben lamented. "U.A. looks like it would be a cool place to attend."
As Ben followed Max through campus, a few students paused to look up from their conversations and activities and stare in awe. It took them a bit longer than expected to get to their destination due to how much Ben kept pausing to shake hands, sign autographs, or greet the students enamored his presence.
The two of them stopped in front of a door with a sign next to it reading "Principal's Office." Grandpa Max slid the door open, and Ben's eyes widened at an unexpected sight: a white animal seated behind a wide, brown desk. He wasn't sure if he was a mouse—a dog—a bear—a cat—or maybe some peculiar mix between all four. The animal beamed, his eyes twinkling in admiration as Ben entered inside. "Ah, Ben 10! It's an honor to finally meet you in person. My name is Nezu." Nezu offered his paw out for a handshake.
"I-It's nice to meet you as well," Ben replied, his handshake meeting Nezu's. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly are you?"
"Ben!" Grandpa Max scolded.
"No, no," Nezu reassured, his response laced with understanding. "It isn't a problem, Max. I appreciate your curiosity, Ben. I was formerly a rodent, experimented on by a certain scientist to explore the development of Quirks in non-human species. The result turned into what you see before you—a combination of multiple animals."
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know you had such a traumatic backstory."
"No, it's okay; you were just curious." Nezu turned his attention to Max. "Thank you for bringing Ben today, Max. I just wanted to collect some necessary data from him before the upcoming semester begins. Did you bring the documents with you?"
"That's correct, Nezu." Grandpa Max handed a brown envelope to Nezu, and Ben was surprised that he had never noticed it while he had walked through U.A. with him.
"Excellent. The faculty, for the most part, has already agreed to accept Ben to U.A. High School after reviewing the application you submitted for him and the countless clips of his heroics. While the semester has already begun, a spot was vacant in the Hero Course following the Sports Festival, meaning Ben can now officially be transferred in. As I already mentioned in our previous communications, although a world-famous superhero like Ben 10 doesn't need to take the entrance exams, especially since seeing him in action is proof enough of his qualifications as a hero, it would be nice if he could take the practical portion of the exam to give us a more measurable assessment of his capabilities."
Ben raised his hands, gesturing to pause the conversation. "Wait, wait, slow down. What do you mean you've already agreed to accept me to U.A. High School? What's this about a practical portion of an exam?"
Grandpa Max placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, his gaze unwavering. "Alright, Ben, I've got to come clean with you. The truth is, there is no undercover mission."
"What?! You lied to us about taking me to Japan for an undercover mission?"
"Well, not quite. I told your parents ahead of time the real reason why I wanted to take you to Japan, to enroll you into U.A. High School, and they agreed to keep it a secret from you until we arrived in Japan." Grandpa Max sighed. "I'm sorry I lied to you about the real reason for coming to Japan, but your parents and I weren't sure if you would've agreed any other way. With how much you've exploded in popularity as a hero during the few years, we began to feel as if you've isolated yourself from your peers and forgotten how to work with others, barring me and Gwen at times. So a few months ago, I contacted Nezu, and he agreed to enroll you in U.A. High School to help you gain your hero license and learn how to work with others."
Max's explanation covered a lot of strange behavior during the past few months—Max's hardcore study sessions for a "week-long trip," his parent's emotional goodbye, and their expensive condo residence. "What do you mean learn how to work with others? I'm great at teamwork."
"Ben, we both know that's not true. You work well with your cousin and me at times, but being able to cooperate with people that you're familiar with isn't good enough. You can't always only want to do things the 'Ben Way.'"
"Why couldn't you have asked me from the start, Grandpa? You don't even know if I'll like it at U.A.!"
"Look, Ben, why don't you stay here for a few weeks and then decide whether or not you like it? If you don't like it, we can catch a flight back to Bellwood, but I think you should give it a chance. I didn't enroll you here for no reason—I think you're a great fit!"
"I don't know," Ben mused, folding his arms.
"I neglected to mention this to your grandfather, Ben," Nezu interjected, his gaze shifting between Ben and Max, "but All Might is currently a teacher at U.A., teaching the Heroics Class for the first-year Hero Course. My intention is not to influence your opinion, but—"
"All Might is teaching at U.A.?" Ben's expression immediately shifted into a wide grin. "That's all you had to tell me! I take back what I said, Grandpa. I think I'll like it here at U.A."
Max grew a relieved expression, his smile mirroring Ben's. "Is that all it took?"
"Yes? Who in the world would say no to attending a school that All Might is a teacher at? Nezu, when do I start?"
"Right now," Nezu explained. "One of our faculty members will take you to Battle Center Alpha shortly, and that's where the practical portion of your entrance exam will begin. It's a straightforward exam; you'll conduct a ten-minute mock urban battle where your objective is to immobilize as many faux villains as possible. You earn points for each of them based on their difficulty level."
"Sounds easy enough," Ben snickered. "Bring it on!"
"Whoa!" Ben exclaimed, his voice carrying surprise and awe as he stood in front of Battle Center Alpha's massive gates. He had expected a small gym-like center, but his expectations were completely shattered by the towering sight before him: an entire mock city with dozens of buildings visible over its perimeter. "Just how rich is this school?!"
"Richer than you can imagine!" An enthusiastic voice boomed from a nearby speaker. "My name's Present Mic, and I'll be your host for your practical exam, Ben 10! Got any questions for me before we kick things off?"
"Yeah, I do, actually! Don't you guys have classes to t—"
"What?" Present Mic's voice boomed out of the speaker, interrupting him. "I can't hear you! You'll have to speak up. Well, you know what? You'll be fine—you're Ben 10, after all! We'll be back when the fifteen minutes are up for your practical exam or when you've successfully defeated all the robots! Okay, START!" With Mic's final proclamation, the gates of the Battle Center swung open.
"That wasn't very helpful," Ben muttered as he entered the mock city. What kind of host ignores a guest's question?
His eyes swept across the streets for the robots he would have to fight, but he didn't have to look for long. Dozens of olive-colored robots of various body shapes and sizes streamed into the streets from all directions! From what Nezu had explained, the one-pointers were the smallest and weakest enemies, while the three-pointers were the largest and strongest enemies.
"Time to make a good impression on the U.A. staff, huh?" Ben's right hand gripped the dial, activating the Omnitrix and evoking an emerald holographic avatar of one of his transformations that illuminated his face. He cycled through his countless transformations—a quadruped creature with massive teeth, a technological humanoid, a manta-ray-like creature—before landing on a crystalline humanoid.
Ben slammed down on the Omnitrix, and in a flash of emerald light, he had transformed from his human form to one of his more iconic aliens. Proudly standing tall at nearly seven feet tall, the alien's broad form shimmered in the sunlight. His rigidly-structured body was composed of pale green crystals, with four crystal shards jutting from his back. The back of his head extended into a sharp fin, his face intended into the head, leaving his jaw protruding out. The alien, much like many of his other transformations, wore a distinctive green and black jumpsuit, with the Omnitrix nodule resting on a green belt with white stripes.
"Diamondhead!" he declared, his voice carrying deep confidence. "It's time to show these robots what I'm made of!" Diamondhead thrust his arms out at the robots, fingers morphing into multiple spikes. He unleashed a barrage of sharp, pale-green crystalline shards, impaling multiple incoming one-pointer robots, the shards piercing through their metallic shells, instantly rendering them inert.
"These guys aren't so tough!" Compared to the enemies he regularly fought, the entrance exam robots they were pitting him against were nothing short of child's play! Diamondhead moved his attention away from the one-pointer robots to the more weaponized three-pointer robots in the back. They had been on his radar since he entered the city, and it was time to see how tough they were.
Diamondhead's hands returned to their original shape as his fingers curled into a fist. He charged at one of the three-pointer robots, his crystalline body jingling as he advanced toward his mechanical foe. With the screech of metal and crackling of sparks, Diamondhead's fist rammed straight through the robot's head unit.
With his fist still lodged in the robot's head, Diamondhead lifted the robot before hurling it towards a two-pointer robot a few feet away from him. The empty metallic husk of the damaged three-pointer collided with the two-pointer in a raucous clamor of bending and shredding metal.
A metallic arm harmlessly clinked off the back of Diamondhead's body, and he turned around to face multiple two-pointer robots. A smirk grew across his face before he lifted his crystalline arm into the air. Multiple pale-green crystalline clusters erupted from the ground beneath the robots, piercing through their metal bodies. A few of the two-pointers managed to avoid the attack but could not evade Diamondhead's immediate follow-up. Multiple crystal shards launched out of his morphed hands as if he were a machine gun, riddling the robots in crystals. The surviving two-pointers dropped to the ground, their metallic bodies rendered inert.
Even after his onslaught, a few more robots—mainly one-pointers and two-pointers—remained in his direct vicinity, with a couple more entering the street, unaware of what awaited them. Diamondhead's arms morphed into blades before he darted at the incoming robots. In a fell swoop, his crystalline blade-like limb cleaved through the metallic body of the one-pointer, the severed portion of its body dropping to the ground with a harmless clink.
Diamondhead moved through the herd of robots, slicing and slashing through metal frames one after another. When a three-pointer tried to slam one of its appendages into Ben, he ducked underneath the swing, cleaving off the robot's lower limb before leaping onto its back and ramming his blades through its head with a loud screech.
"I'm the only one taking this exam, aren't I?" Diamondhead mused as more exam robots moved into the streets, their red optical units glaring down at the crystalline alien. "No matter," his arms morphed back into spikes as he thrust them at the robots, charging toward them. "I'll take you all on!"
"Incredible! I wanted to see what Max's grandson could do with my own eyes, but this far exceeds what I could've expected. What does he call this transformation, again, Nezu?"
"I believe Ben refers to this transformation as Diamondhead."
Many U.A. staff members were in an unlit room, seated before dozens of monitors. Although the entrance exams had occurred two months prior and the semester had begun the month prior, Ben had been accepted into the Hero Course under special conditions and was allowed to take the entrance exam at a later date. The end of the Sports Festival two days prior meant there was no school, meaning all of the first-year teachers were present in the room: Nezu, All Might, Midnight, Thirteen, Cementoss, Eraserhead, Snipe, and Ectoplasm.
Present Mic stepped into the room, the light from the hallway temporarily illuminating the room before he shut the door. "Hey, I'm back from the—whoa, hold the phone for just a minute! Didn't this practical exam just start? He's already racked well over 60 villain points!"
Cementoss shook his head. "What did you expect from Ben 10, Mic? While I don't know much about him, it's common knowledge that he's already surpassed dozens of heroes worldwide at such a young age. It's no surprise that this exam is child's play for him.
Nezu nodded. "That is correct. It's important to mention that we previously accepted Tennyson into Class 1-A. Due to the lack of availability in the class, his grandfather had waited to bring him to Japan. With Rikido Sato's unfortunate decision to leave U.A. following the Sports Festival, Tennyson can now be moved into the Hero Course. As such, the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the information I believe is necessary for you all to know regarding Tennyson's capabilities for the academic session."
"Sure," Mic sat in a seat next to Cementoss. "Y'know, now that you mentioned it, I was wonderin' something! I've seen my fair share of forms this Ben 10 guy has online, but just many forms does he even have?"
"Tennyson can access 20 forms, with the number subject to change, Yamada." Nezu reached under his seat and pulled out the brown envelope Max had given him, removing multiple documents from inside and passing them to the other teachers. "This document was provided by Ben Tennyson's grandfather, Max Tennyson, upon my request, outlining the powers and abilities of each of his forms. Please take a look at it."
The document was surprisingly comprehensive. The first page was a preface dedicated to information on the limitations of Ben's "Quirk" and the purpose of the watch in aiding him in transforming, with its origins listed as "an experimental device by great thinker Azmuth." The rest of the pages each detailed a different alien and their various abilities and related weaknesses.
"Hey, this Echo Echo guy is kind of like me!" Present Mic quipped.
"I'd have to agree," Ectoplasm nodded. "Many of the abilities that Ben's transformations have are similar to our own—Grey Matter has intelligence comparable to Nezu, Humungousaur possesses strength like All Might, and Echo Echo's cloning powers are similar to my own Quirk."
"Adding onto that, Ectoplasm, some of the abilities of Tennyson's forms are also similar to many students in Class 1-A, no?" Midnight commented. "Arctiguana has similar ice-related powers to Todoroki, Brainstorm seems to manipulate electricity much like Kaminari, and Spitter can produce a substance with properties similar to Ashido's acid. We should keep this in mind when pairing him with students in the future. Maybe Tennyson could help students explore the extent of their Quirks through the application of his form's abilities."
"An excellent observation and equally interesting suggestion, Kayama. Aizawa, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
The teachers' attention moved to Eraserhead, a tired-looking man with long black hair. He sighed. "It's a fine idea, but I wouldn't consider relegating a student to such a position unless he's interested in it."
"Naturally," Nezu agreed.
Present Mic spoke up, pointing at the camera feed where Diamondhead reduced robots to scrap left and right. "I've been wondering somethin'. Eraser. Do you think your Quirk, Erasure, would work on Tennyson's transformations?"
"I don't see why it wouldn't. I imagine that's likely why Nezu placed Tennyson in 1-A, after all."
"A correct assessment, Aizawa!" Nezu smiled. "Between the two homeroom teachers—yourself and Kan—I believe you are better suited to contain Tennyson if the situation ever comes to it. But that is all I wanted to discuss. Now that you are all fully aware of Tennyson's capabilities, are there any further questions or concerns?"
"How will internships work with Tennyson?" Thirteen questioned. "He wasn't present for the Sports Festival, and I'm not sure if giving him a list of 40 Pro Heroes to intern with is the best use of his time."
"You're right about that, especially given that Tennyson has already worked alongside countless Pro Heroes in America. However, his grandfather tells me that Tennyson can be stubborn and prefers to do things the, as he says, 'Ben Way,' which was his primary motivation for registering him in U.A. I believe we could find a Pro Hero internship that teaches him how to work alongside others."
"Why not have Tennyson work with Thirteen for the internship?" Cementoss suggested, gesturing towards the spacesuit-dressed hero. "Search and rescue-type heroes frequently work alongside other heroes, and perhaps a change of pace from his usual combat-oriented heroics would be beneficial for him."
"Adding onto that," Thirteen said, "we could try to have him intern with heroes that mainly work on teams, such as the Wild, Wild Pussycats."
"I strongly believe that we shouldn't force any of these suggestions onto Young Tennyson," All Might said, his voice carrying great weight despite his frail appearance. "We should try to listen to his opinion on the matter."
The teachers murmured in agreement, their conversation continuing.
"That's all they got?" Diamondhead kicked a severed three-pointer robot head to the side of the pavement. The streets of the mock city were littered with metallic husks of defeated entrance exam robots and pale-green crystalline shards.
"So when will they l—"
Present Mic's voice boomed from the speaker again, slightly startling the crystalline alien. "OKAY! You've completed the practical portion of the exam, beloved listener! There are no more robots left! You're free to check out of the Battle Center!"
"Right," Diamondhead slammed against the Omnitrix node on the center of his chest, engulfing the pale-green alien in a flash of green light. The emerald radiance faded, revealing Ben, who returned to his normal human form. "So when should I come to U.A.? I heard there weren't any classes yesterday or today for first-years because of the Sports Festival, so when do I start here?"
"Bright and early tomorrow, so be sure ya get a lot of sleep! Your granddad's been given all of the relevant information you'll need, including your U.A. uniform, map of campus, and student code of conduct! Be sure you—check it out!"
"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow!" Ben waved goodbye to…well, he couldn't see where Present Mic was, but he was certain that there were cameras around, and they understood the gesture.
Learning that he would be attending U.A. left a lot for him to think about, especially with Grandpa Max, but he was excited to see what Japan had to offer. And hey, with All Might teaching at the school, just how bad could this experience be? But regardless, no matter what was to come his way, he knew that he would be able to handle it—he was Ben 10, wasn't he?
"Well, here I come. It's hero time!"
[-]
Today's Featured Alien: Diamondhead!
Diamondhead is a Petrosapien from the planet Petropia, though it's long been destroyed by the late Vilgax the Conqueror!
Diamondhead is one of Ben's more iconic aliens, thanks to his unique pale-green crystalline appearance matched with his ability to create and manipulate crystal constructs! He's a pretty versatile guy, capable of shooting crystals, encasing enemies in crystals, changing the shape of his limbs, creating independent crystalline objects, and even deflecting energy!
Thanks to the natural density of his crystals, Diamondhead possesses incredible physical durability and prowess, capable of matching up to individuals with enhanced strength, such as the previously mentioned Vilgax the Conqueror! Furthermore, thanks to his crystal composition, Diamondhead is completely immune to aging, fire, and possession from organic creatures like Xenocites! How's that for Diamond is Unbreakable?
But these upsides don't come without drawbacks! Diamondhead's biggest weakness is in the form of his vulnerability to sonic vibrations, such as those from a Loboan or a Quirk, such as Voice!
Stay tuned for more of Ben's aliens! Heh, I mean forms.
[-]
A/N:
I wanted to take another shot at writing a Ben 10/My Hero Academia fanfic, especially given that the last attempt wasn't too great. I wanted to write this one to feature a more popular and cocky Ben, similar to the one featured in Omniverse because I think it'll make for some interesting scenarios. Furthermore, I tried to avoid having the story feature a Ben who joins U.A. at the very start of the school year, so I had him join Class 1-A after the Sports Festival. It did mean Rikido got replaced, but I'm sure no one will mind.
Thanks for reading, and until the next chapter—you all have nothing but my best wishes.
This was made in collaboration with Andromeda Studios. Learn more about this group on my profile!
