The doctor adjusted his glasses, looking with apprehension in his eyes. "Her situation, while stable, is still troubling." He coughed. "She remains unconscious, and her body is severely malnourished and dehydrated. We have little knowledge of these nanochips and how they interact with the human body... but we have reached out to the Plumbers' medical facilities to get more information. If she is transferred to another location, we'll contact you, Mr. Tennyson."

All that Ben could do was numbly nod. "I... I understand."

A look of concern flashed through the doctor's eyes. "Would you... like to leave your phone number?"

"Sure." Ben quickly wrote his number on a nearby paper. "Just don't leak it. please."

"Of course. It shall not be an issue." With a final nod, the doctor walked away, leaving Ben alone with his thoughts. At least for a moment. Soon, 'Sunny' joined him, pulling his hand.

"Let's go. There's nothing for you here right now."

Ben turned to Hope, the tiredness on his face evident from a mile away. Without a word, they both turned around, exiting the hospital. Outside, no stars could be seen, clouds covering up the sky. It was a cold night, not even his jacket could make him feel warmer right now. Perhaps it wasn't just regular coldness. In the car, waited Bad Ben, at least this time bothering to wear his mask, since he was at the wheel, waiting for them to come back. Still speechless, Ben opened the back door, and Hope, instead of sitting in the front, joined him, sitting by his side.

"I'm glad you listened." Bad Ben suddenly said, just as he started the engine.

"What?" Ben replied while his counterpart started driving.

Bad Ben took his mask off, revealing his real face, sea-green eyes staring at Ben through the rearview. "You didn't listen to her. I honestly thought you would."

"I almost did. Not today, of course." Ben clarified. "I wouldn't consider it after what she did to Gwen, Kevin, Julie..."

"Wise choice." His counterpart's tone stirred Ben's curiosity.

"What do you mean?" He tried to make Bad Ben open, and once more he gazed at him through the rearview, as they stopped at a traffic light.

Bad Ben uncharacteristically sighed. "I was with Elena." The revelation shocked Ben. "For four years. I couldn't stand Julie any longer... and..." He paused. "It was a mistake. I didn't realize it until my wrist was bare."

"You... did she blow up your Omnitrix?" Ben questioned.

"Yes. It didn't help that I had been experimenting on it. When I tried to confront her after she killed someone who she thought was into me." Bad Ben grimaced, while Ben was horrified. "That was the breaking point, of course. She had been trying to coerce me for years. Make me join the Hive. I tolerated her. For too long. We fought. Badly."

"How badly?"

"Half of Undertown wiped off the map." His words hang up in the air. "And at the cost of the Omnitrix. And her life."

Ben could only stare at his counterpart. "I... I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to be." Bad Ben answered. "I don't require your pity. And I do not mean this as an offense."

While Ben accepted that, at least he thought he did, something else was puzzling him. "Wait... you... dated Elena for how long? Four years?"

"Indeed."

"But... you also said you dated Julie... I didn't meet Julie until I was fifteen..."

Bad Ben raised an eyebrow. "Ben, I thought you knew time didn't necessarily fly the same in every reality." He returned to his mocking tone. "Or that travel through different points in time is possible. Or even that our experiences could be, and are, different. But I know where you're trying to get. I'm twenty-two if you haven't noticed."

To say Ben was shocked, was an understanding. But now, it made a lot of sense. Ben didn't consider himself immature, at least not anymore, he had tried to make those parts of him vanish to appease Kai, but his counterpart... He looked older. Only now Ben noticed the small stubble that covered Bad Ben's lower half of his face.

The turmoil inside his head subsided slightly when he saw the image of a Mr. Smoothy in the distance.

Lucy was scared. Well, not scared, but on edge. The look on Ben's face... her cousin could be scary when he wanted to. She knew that firsthand from Alan, Helen, and Manny, who had spoken of the time they were all beaten by Ben one by one until they finally thought they had subdued him, only for him to reveal it was all a test. A test. Judging by how angry Manny was when they were recounting it, it was a sore spot for the tetramand hybrid. And... well, even when in his human form, Ben was imposing. Like he had seen a thousand battles. His eyes somehow pierced you all the way through, like he was staring at your soul.

She had never experienced this before. To Lucy, he was just her sweet and fun cousin who helped her prank on Gwendolyn. To others... he was a force of nature. And Lucy could see why. She had seen a glimpse of that side of him yesterday.

But that wasn't the only reason why she was nervous. No. They were currently in what they nicknamed Daniels Building, much to Cooper's dismay. It wasn't a full-fledged base, but with only scraps and his technopathy, he had managed to construct a home for them. It wasn't too fancy, but the publicity money should cover reforms. But advertisement and cash were the last thing present in Lucy's mind. Since they were all gathered in their meeting room, Max Tennyson faced them with his hands together. Lucy liked Max. She wasn't sure what was her degree of kinship to Max, but was happy to call him Grandpa. But here, he wasn't Grandpa Max. He was Magister Tennyson of the Plumbers and the main link to the official law enforcement organizations, something that they kinda still were but weren't at the same time.

"To start, I do not blame you for what happened yesterday." Max started, and Lucy allowed some tension to be relieved from her shoulders. "If the report I read is correct, I won't blame Cooper for being overwhelmed by the microchips. I have been subject to them; I know what they're like. And Elena Validus is a formidable opponent. Even Ben has struggled against her in the past."

"That said," Lucy braced herself for the real scolding. "Your performance was still not ideal. Defeated under a minute won't get you far. Thankfully, we had Ben now. But if we hadn't, we would have been in a real problem. So, both as a solution and something we discussed previously when training, we have commissioned a team enlargement."

"Team enlargement? Already?" Helen questioned.

Max nodded. "Yes. Fortunately, the two we have gathered have been well trained, and..." He cleared his throat. "Rehabilitated."

"What do you mean?" Cooper asked, crossing his arms.

"I take you," Max looked toward the three hybrids in the room. "Remember Swift and Leander."

The names were alien to Lucy, but Manny, Helen, and Alan looked scandalized.

"What?!" Helen exclaimed, almost getting up from her seat, only to be stopped by one of Manny's hands. "They were Rooters, Max! How could you even be considering this?"

Max remained emotionless. "I understand your concerns. But we have made sure to prepare them for this occasion. And, between you all and me," He leaned forward. "I don't trust them either, not yet. But you will oversee them. You are the last step in their rehabilitation. If they compromise on you, all you need is this." Max delivered a small device to Cooper. "They're wearing devices much like Incarcecon collars. But I am certain they wouldn't do that."

The team glanced at each other for a moment. Lucy was aware of the Rooters and the experiments of Proctor Servantis. Both from the Plumbers' records and Helen's words, since she was the one willing to share the most information, and to talk with Lucy. Meeting the Kineceleran's plain white eyes, she noticed the rage behind them. But also, acceptance. They had agreed to a hero's life, after all, it wouldn't be all flowers.

"We... agree on letting them join." Cooper slowly stated. "But if anyone else is gonna be added, we want to know first, Max."

The elder Plumber simply nodded. "I will try to make that happen. But for now, I feel like there aren't any open slots after this."

Lucy could hardly disagree.

..

"And while we have tried to gather more information on the matter, Bellwood General Hospital wouldn't quite be cooperative to our research. But Elena Validus, one of Ben 10's most mysterious and cryptic villains, is known to be hospitalized there, brought there by none other than Ben 10 himself!" A picture of Ben carrying Elena in the hospital was shown. "What exactly do we know about Elena Validus, Jess?"

"Well, first of all, Cassie," The other presenter answered. "We don't even know if her surname is Validus or Valadis. But we know she is involved with what has been known as the Alien Swarm. Multiple individuals controlled by nanochips, all supposedly from a queen that hosted Elena's father, Victor, who is now deceased."

"Very interesting," Cassie said, looking at the camera. "And people, while the Plumbers aren't exactly revealing, inside sources reveal that she was well on track to join the organization and left because she allegedly became possessed by the queen, or even was the queen the entire time!"

"Indeed." Jess continued "But what we know very little, is her relation to Earth's greatest hero! They went to middle school together, that is well known, and it is rumored th-"

Suddenly, the television was turned off, Ben still staring at the now dark screen.

"Have more dignity." Bad Ben said, leaving the controller on the couch, while already going to his room. And Ben supposed his counterpart was right, he should have more self-respect than that... but it was hard not to soak himself in his worries.

So much so that only after a few seconds he noticed he wasn't alone anymore, with Hope looking over to him, eyes filled with concern. "You look terrible."

Ben chuckled. "Sorry."

"I'm just worried. Your mental state..."

"Hope, I've been through worse, trust me. Being tossed into space, fighting evil versions of me, the universe ending..." Ben felt like he could go on and on, but Hope was not amused.

"This isn't about what you faced as a hero." She declared. "It's about what you faced as a person."

For a moment, Ben simply stared at the blue-eyed witch. Since when were her eyes blue, anyway? "Hope, don't get me wrong. But why exactly do you care so much? It's like you didn't spend almost the last decade trying to kill me."

"Ben..." She trailed off. "I told you; I mean to change. And I want to be helpful. Granted, I am not the best therapist." The witch chuckled. "But if I can at least be here for you, well, maybe you will trust me. And if I'm already here, why should I not want to see you feeling well?"

"Mhm." Ben rested his chin on his hand. "Alright. You're right. In both camps."

Hope smirked. "Look, just... you need some time for yourself. You weren't supposed to meet Elena now and go deal with her mess. You really should just... chill out, I think?"

Ben never imagined Charmcaster of all people to suggest that. "I... I guess? But..."

"Ben, they got you covered." Hope argued. "I hardly think something like this will happen again."

"Careful," Ben warned. "Something always happens when we say how could it get any worse."

This time, Hope genuinely laughed, amused. "Oh, Ben, I'm surprised."

"Why?" He questioned.

"Oh, I thought you were just an arrogant brat from the start." She clarified. "And later, an arrogant prick."

"And I thought you were just a psychopath." Ben retorted. "And later, I thought you were crazy."

"I wasn't crazy!" Hope replied with a wide grin. "I just needed someone to talk to. And I wouldn't trust them outside my bag."

"Still, maybe you weren't crazy for talking to your bag. Maybe you were crazy for trying to talk to Darkstar and Addwaitya."

"Hm. I never looked through that angle." Hope grabbed the controller. "What exactly do you watch? I'm not well versed at all in television."

"Does any technology even exist in LedgerDomain?" Ben asked, grabbing the controller from Hope's hand and changing through the channels, trying to find something interesting.

"None that isn't by nature magical." She explained. "Have you chosen anything?"

"I'm working on it." Ben quickly pressed the button on the controller, until he stopped at a film channel, seeing a dumb kaiju blockbuster that he quite liked. His passion for big monsters wrecking up stuff was only second to sumo. "What about this?"

Hope seemed intrigued by the scene of the giant dinosaur-like robot punching what seemed to be a giant ant-like monster. To Ben, it was truly entertaining. "I think I dig it. Do you want to watch it?"

"Sure." Ben turned off the lights, since it was, somehow, already dark outside. With the lights off, he sat by Hope's side again and they began watching, the sorceress seemingly entertained with the movie. But Ben... well, he had slept poorly the night before. Very poorly. And before they even got to the final fight of the movie, he was well asleep.

But of course, the hero didn't notice that he had fallen asleep on Hope's shoulder, using it almost as a pillow. The witch, though, quickly noticed, but... She just couldn't dare to interrupt his sleep now.

Instead, she let him be.

It felt comfortable anyway.