Ben X chapter 29
Abominatrix Arc
The Truth Revealed: Part 1
"Behold! The Abominatrix!" Eon called out holding up the device. The group looked up to see Eon holding a device that looked like a larger Omnitrix. The face of the dial was the same as the typical Omnitrix but was purple instead of green. However, sharp black pointed plates emerged from either side of the dial face. Silvery and violet bands crossed the underside of the device. As Eon put the Abominatrix on it wrapped across the majority of his left forearm. The Abominatrix glowed purple as it synced to Eon's DNA. On the pointed ends of the plates a series of runes lit up in the same violet light. Eon smiled gleefully as he inspected the device that was now attached to his wrist.
"Big deal." Ben said. "So you've built yourself a knock off Omnitrix. I've seen it done a dozen times already. What did you do with Ghostfreak? And what happened to the Demiurge Hammer?" Ben asked. But Eon simply responded by chuckling again as he slowly began to descend the long staircase from the altar.
"Oh Ben, you never were the smart one were you?" He asked as the group tensed at his approach. "You see, the Demiurge Hammer was never real. I planted rumors and evidence of it throughout history to give the illusion of a weapon of great power. I needed a reason to gather all of your greatest enemies to trap them and further my own plans." He explained. "You see the Abominatrix is not a mere Omnitrix knock-off, as you claim. I have spent so long perfecting it. I stole blueprints from Dr. Pyschobos and Albedo. I even had help from your old pal Dr. Animo, in exchange for a healthy sum. But the Abominatrix does not merely store DNA. No, after studying occult magics I have created a device which can trap its victim's very soul!" Eon elaborated.
"What are you getting at?" Ben narrowed his eyes. Besides him Rook readied his Proto-tool while both Julie and Kai looked between Eon and Ben unsure. Eon grinned sinisterly holding out the Abominatrix.
"Why don't I simply show you?" He said. The dial in the center of the device popped up. Eon slammed his hand down on the dial much like Ben did with his transformations. A flash of brilliant and blinding purple light erupted from the Abominatrix. The group shielded their eyes. A second later, Eon had disappeared and in his place floated Ghostfreak. But there was a clear difference. In the space between the scars of Ghostfreak's skin was instead the purple symbol of the Abominatrix. Ben and his group looked on in shock. Eon had somehow transformed himself to look exactly like Ghostfreak.
"I have collected all of your greatest enemies Ben 10…" Eon spoke in Zs'Skayr's voice. He pressed on the Abominatrix symbol and there was another flash of violet light as he transformed into Malware.
"And now with the Abominatrix…" He said before beginning to rapidly transform.
"I can transform…" He said as Aggregor.
"Into each and every…" He spoke as Maltruant.
"One of them…" He finally finished having transformed into Vilgax.
Ben and his group stared in shock at the display they were shown. Their minds raced as they struggled to comprehend the situation in front of them. Eon had somehow gained control of all his greatest enemies and could now access their powers at will. Rook, Julie, and Kai stood stunned as they contemplated their options. They each looked instinctively to Ben to see what course of action they should take. Their resolve was bolstered as they noticed he stood firm in front of them his hand hovering over the Omnitrix in preparation for another transformation. He pressed down and the flash of light revealed an avian alien. Kickin Hawk adopted a fighter's stance and squared off against Vilgax-Eon. The rest of the group readied themselves following Ben's lead. Rook aimed down the sights of his proto-tool. Kai held Excalibur steady in front of her. Julie transformed into her large armor form, aiming lasers and missiles down. Strengthened by the aid of his friends Ben spoke up.
"You might have a new tool Eon, but there's no way you'll be able to take us all on. The rest of my friends are on their way as we speak." Kickin Hawk taunted. Eon smiled through Vilgax's tentacles.
"Then I suppose we'll have to remedy that problem won't we." Vilgax-Eon said as he reached up to his right shoulder. His fingers twisted the dial of the Abominatrix symbol there and suddenly a large dome of violet energy erupted around them. The group looked around them to see they were entrapped in the arena. They turned to look behind them and saw the rest of the team arrive just after the dome was put up. While the rest of them paused to study the situation, Kevin immediately charged the dome. He swung his stone fists at the forcefield but his strikes could not penetrate. The dome rippled in response to his punches but held strong. Gwen and Charmcaster immediately laid their hands on the force field trying to discern its nature. Charmcaster spared a worried glance at Kai inside.
"Now there will be no further interruptions." Vilgax-Eon spoke. He charged at Ben and swung his fist. Kickin Hawk nimbly dodged under the clumsy punch. His athletic prowess allowed him to take strikes at his opponent. The talons of his fists raked across Vilgax's skin. But the alien's tough hide resisted the sharp claws. Vilgax-Eon swung his mighty fists, pummeling into Ben's body. His superior alien strength quickly overwhelmed Ben who did his best to avoid the strikes. Kickin Hawk used his superior mobility to out maneuver Vilgax-Eon but his precision strikes seemed to only aggravate the villain further. They traded blows, neither seeming to get the upper hand on the other. Suddenly Vilgax-Eon landed a solid upper cut that sent Ben sprawling backwards. He stalked over his prone foe only to be interrupted by a sudden burst of laser fire.
Vilgax Eon looked up to see Rook firing at him with his proto-tool. Although the weapon was set at a potentially lethal setting Vilgax-Eon shrugged the blasts off with little effort. But it was still enough of a distraction to take him away from Ben. He was rushed from his right by a blur of white and red. Kai charged forward, Excalibur gleaming in between her hands as she sliced at Vilgax-Eon. The madman cried out as the sword cut cleanly through Vilgax's tough alien flesh. He was put on the defensive as both Kai and Rook advanced on him. He took care to avoid the vicious strikes of Kai's sword while Rook's proto-staff kept him off balance. The onslaught of attacks began to drive him backwards. Kai continued to swing high, aiming at Vilgax-Eon's neck, a determined grimace held on her face. Rook meanwhile, swept his staff low at the villain's feet and swiftly avoiding the resulting strikes. Every time Vilgax-Eon would swing at one they would dodge and the other would take the opportunity to land a hit. Kai slashed vertically along his back causing the evil-doer to cry out in pain again. He growled in frustration and lashed out. His fists collided with both Rook and Kai with a resounding thwack sending them flying in different directions. Kai was sent straight into the barrier where she slumped to the ground injured.
"Kai!" Charmcaster screamed in worry eliciting a confused glance from Gwen.
Vilgax-Eon began to step forward again but his advance was halted by a hail of missiles and laser fire. He stumbled backward, shielding his face with his arms. As the smoke cleared he spotted Julie standing in her battle mode armor. All of ship's weapons and rocket launchers were primed and at the ready, aiming straight down the barrel at him. Eon could feel himself involuntarily grind his teeth at the sight. He leaped forward, intent on crushing the girl. But Julie stood fast to her ground. She let loose a barrage of laser fire which singed Vilgax-Eon's skin. The constant barrage of missiles and lasers took their toll on Vilgax-Eon's tough exterior. He could feel pain blooming along his chest and extremeties. The searing heat caused him to groan in pain. He was taken by surprise as Julie delivered a savage and powerful right cross to his head. He spun to the side with the force of the blow. Julie followed up with several jabs to his head and exposed chest. But she lost the advantage suddenly as Vilgax-Eon suddenly gripped her wrist. He smiled wickedly, rearing back a fist. A single punch cracked her helmet and visor, momentarily dazing her. She recovered just enough to watch him prepare for another powerful punch.
But his hand was caught and he gasped in surprise as Kickin Hawk appeared from behind and tossed Vilgax-Eon over his shoulder. The giant alien was sent sprawling to the floor. He opened his eyes just in time to see Ben deliver a powerful axe kick which collided with his stomach. Vilgax-Eon rolled to the side and stood, immediately rushing back at Ben. But his attack was halted by another onslaught of laser fire from Julie. Her arms were raised in his direction as she aimed manually, the last attack having damaged her targeting systems. Vilgax-Eon raised his arms to block the laser fire but that left his middle open to attacks from Ben who slashed at him viciously. He kicked out at Ben and sent him stumbling back. But leaping over top of him Kai reappeared, Excalibur held aloft in her hands and ready to strike. He narrowly dodged the downwards slice from the glowing sword, only to be tripped as he backpedalled. Vilgax-Eon looked up to see Rook with Proto-staff in hand, spinning around his torso. He slammed the weapon down and sent a discharge of electricity that shocked Vilgax-Eon. The villain flipped to his feet dodging yet another round of attacks from the melee fighters.
For a moment, it seemed as though the heroes had Eon on the run. He was forced to backpedal to avoid the constant strikes from them. But Vilgax-Eon suddenly shouted in rage. "Enough!" He yelled. Quickly the tentacles comprising Vilgax's arms unravelled. They squirmed in the air for just a second before lashing around Kai and Rook. The pair of plumbers screamed out as they were wrapped up in Vilgax-Eon's tentacles. Flexing his incredibly powerful muscles his tentacles squeezed around his captives. They each cried out in pain as the powerful tendrils compressed their bodies. They struggled against the bindings before they suddenly went limp with pain. Vilgax-Eon tossed them at Julie. Their limp bodies collided with Julie's armor form, knocking her onto her back. That left only Ben as Kickin Hawk facing off against Eon as Vilgax. Ben scowled at the familiar face of his enemy worn by another. Vilgax-Eon walked calmly forward to Ben, his arms reforming with each step.
"Tell me Ben, how does it feel being a failure again?" Vilgax-Eon taunted. Ben scowled back as best he could with a beak.
"I'm not a failure." Ben asserted while adopting a fighting stance.
"There's a couple hundred dead innocents who would beg to differ." Eon responded with a wicked smile. Ben glowered angrily before launching into a series of swift kicks and punches. Vilgax-Eon easily deflected them, Ben's anger telegraphing his moves far in advance. This continued for several moments, as Eon continued to taunt Ben with the deaths of those on the Tragulon.
"Poor pathetic Ben Tennyson…" Eon tormented. "You spent all those years alone and for what? To atone for your sins? To train and become stronger? As some kind of punishment?" He asked continuing to beat on Ben. His fists collided harshly with Ben's chest. He could feel ribs cracking from the force, a sharp stinging pain in his body that left him gasping painfully for air. The last blow sent Ben rolling to the side, his transformation timing out mid spin. Behind him his friends called out in alarm and worry. Those outside the shield still uselessly trying to break through the barrier. While those inside were still struggling to rise from their wounds. Ben shakily got to his feet as Vilgax-Eon continued to approach.
"All that time and you still haven't changed. You're still the same pathetic loser that can't save anyone!" Eon said with mocking vitriol. Ben glared up at his opponent. He felt the rage begin to boil over in his mind. His fists clenched angrily as he looked up to Vilgax-Eon's wicked face.
"…shut up." He said quietly over Eon's voice.
"Shut up." He said again harshly even as Eon continued to denigrate him.
"SHUT UP!" Ben screamed angrily as he slammed down on the Omnitrix. In a split second he had transformed into Rath. Ben let the alien form's innate aggression take hold of him. He lunged at Vilgax-Eon wildly, his arms swinging with powerful claws and muscles. His vision went red as his rage overtook his mind. Rath clawed wildly at his opponent, snarling and screaming with an unqunchable thirst for blood. He even had forsaken his usual trash talking of his opponent so blinded by anger was he. Ben was lost in Rath's vicious primal instincts. In his mind he could hear only the desire to kill and destroy and he followed it willingly and without question.
But for all of Rath's strength and power, his attacks could do no harm if they did not land. Lost in his mindless rage Ben did not realize how easy it was for Vilgax-Eon to dodge his strikes with little effort. Rath snarled and pounced with each turn, every time he missed an attack his rage only grew. Vilgax-Eon taunted him relentlessly as Ben chased him around the arena. Each missed attack was accompanied by another barbed word about Ben's failure. It drove Rath to a plane of anger and rage he had never reached before. He didn't even realize that his battle cries of frustration had turned into blood-curdling roars of fury. The sound echoed and reverberated off of the stone walls of the temple, enhancing the terrifying qualities of the sound. Ben's comrades were all stunned into inaction as they watched the display of ferocity from him. Most of them had never seen him like this. For Julie and Kai it was like watching the person they cared for turn into a monster. Only Gwen, Kevin, and Rook had experienced anything remotely similar. And that was when Ben first beat Vilgax into a pulp following the Tragulon. But even that display of anger paled in comparison to what Rath was currently demonstrating. However, Eon was not as proud as Vilgax to go one on one with one of Ben's most strongest aliens. He was more than capable of dodging the uncoordinated strikes.
Rath quickly expended his energy, lashing out wildly with strikes that did not connect. Eon had been planning this from the start. The moment Rath sagged even a little, Vilgax-Eon went on the offensive. He launched a swift uppercut straight into Ben's stomach. The force of the punch caused Rath to cough up blood even still in the midst of his rage. This was followed by a rapid series of devastating attacks. Vilgax-Eon clasped both his fists together and swung them down onto Ben's head. A wicked smile alighted his face as he began to beat Rath senseless, giving the Apoplexian no room to breathe or recover. His friends could only watch this helplessly, still recovering from their injuries. Tears began to well up in Julie's eyes as she watched Ben be attacked without mercy. Her breath began to come in shallow gasps as she listened to him cry out in pain. A final right cross sent Ben spinning to the floor, the fight literally knocked out of him. Ben's transformation timed out again and he was left hunched over the floor arms spread in front of him as he struggled to remain upright.
Ben looked up blearily as Vilgax-Eon stood to tower over him. He was tired and pained but his eyes still held a glint of defiance. He struggled to face the tyrant, managing to rise at least to his knees. Vilgax-Eon sneered at him. Even after suffering through such a punishment Ben was still looking for a fight. It was an insufferable trait of his. Eon smiled to himself, he would have to remedy that. And he knew just what buttons to push to get under Ben's skin.
Then he asked a question that stunned Ben into inaction.
"Tell me Ben, how many times did you try to save them?" Vilgax-Eon asked in a harsh tone. Ben's fists dropped to his sides as he gawked at the villain in shock.
"What… what are you talking about?" He asked, disbelief present in his voice. His eyes darted nervously between his friends who were watching and the malicious smile on Vilgax's face. Eon couldn't possibly know. He couldn't. It was the whole reason he had gone away. He made sure that no-one, not even Azmuth knew what he was planning.
"Come now Ben, we both know exactly what I mean. How many plans did you come up with? Only to watch them fail miserably?" Vilgax-Eon said crossing his muscular arms.
"H-h-how do you know about that?" Ben asked, his eyes wide with horror. Vilgax-Eon laughed harshly. The sound held the same cadence as Eon's normal laugh, but coming from Vilgax's throat it sounded wrong.
"You forget Ben, I'm an alternate version of you. I know everything you do, everything you've done. I know all your secrets." He whispered menacingly. Ben's eyes widened in terror as the realization hit him. He stared dumbstruck up at Eon, his eyes meeting his and knowing without doubt and with perfect certainty that the villain was telling the truth. He knew. He knew what Ben had attempted and knew the outcomes. Ben's arms hung limply at his sides. He could distantly hear the cries of his friends, urging him to get up, urging him to fight or to run away. But he didn't register them consciously.
"How many ways did you watch them die? How close were you to making the same choice I did?" Vilgax-Eon spoke aloud for everyone to hear.
An unnatural silence fell across the room at the question. Confusion reigned among those present. They didn't understand what Eon was talking about. What choice could Ben possibly have made? But deep in his soul, Ben knew. He realized then how close he had been to making a mistake worse than even the Tragedy of the Tragulon. Ben felt his breathing become rapid as he started hyperventilating involuntarily. His pupils dilated as he stared up at his enemy. His chest tightened and ached, each breath became a struggle. He'd never had a panic attack before, but he imagined this is what it felt like. Yet even that realization alone was not enough to pull him out of the paralysis he now faced.
Eon laughed again, his voice still sounding odd coming from Vilgax's mouth. "I suppose that reaction answers my question well enough." He spoke aloud, placing his hands on his hips mockingly. "Still, knowing that I've broken you isn't enough. My plans are not nearly complete yet. For you see there is still one more entity that I plan to entrap. And once I have his power, I will be nigh omnipotent and able to conquer the whole Omniverse!" Vilgax-Eon shouted arms spread to the side.
Across the energy barrier Gwen's eyes went wide with realization. "No… He's going after Dagon!" She screamed in warning. She redoubled her efforts to get through the shield. Desperate to stop the madman.
"Give the lady a prize." Eon mockingly said faking clapping his hands. "But before that..." He spoke, turning back to Ben. The young hero, still in the grips of shock and existential crisis, was powerless to move. Vilgax-Eon faced Ben, crossing his arms in front of his chest. His fingertips began to glow with powerful energy. He glared at Ben with a hateful expression. Ben watched as the energy grew brighter and brighter.
"Ben you need to move! Transform! Do something!" Trixie's voice called out desperately to him from his wrist. But despite his best efforts, Ben's legs were frozen in place, kneeled in front of the villain.
"Ben! Get up! Move!" Julie heard herself scream out. She struggled to move towards him, to try and save him. But Ship's armor was damaged to a significant extent. Her neural connection to him was spotty and she couldn't even manage enough to call him off of her. She stared at Ben who looked up at Eon with a broken shocked expression. She felt tears run freely down her face. She didn't understand any of what Eon was saying to Ben. All she knew was that Ben was in trouble, that he needed help, just like he did all those years ago, just like she knew at the start of this journey. She needed to help him. Her feelings burst forth from her soul and she felt an anguish sting at her as she knew that if Ben didn't get out of the way, he could die.
"Ben!" Julie called out, desperately putting all of her emotions, her love and concern into her voice.
"Goodbye, Ben Tennyson!" Vilgax-Eon shouted. He threw his arms forward with a mighty heave. The energy launched from his hands and flew forward in the form of a burning X. Ben could only watch helplessly as the Cross-shaped energy beams flew towards him. It seemed to happen in slow motion to him. He knew that he should move out of the way, defend himself, retaliate. But some part of his mind would not let him act. He was powerless as the blast impacted into his chest and sent him surging backwards. He could feel his body fly through the air even as the energy burned deep into his skin. He collided against the energy barrier and slumped to the ground. His entire body ached with pain. He watched through narrowed eyes as Vilgax-Eon cackled sinisterly. It was the last thing he saw before he succumbed to unconsciousness.
A/N: So I'm probably not the first person to come up with the concept of an Omnitrix filled with Ben's villains. But I needed a threat great enough for the rest of the story. As for Eon, I was kind of fascinated with him ever since they retconned him as an alternative version of Ben. The question of why and how he went bad was always something I wondered about and I'm kind of sad they never explored that in any of the series. So that's what my fic is going to be about. Hopefully the next chapter should shed some light on the mystery.