Omni Force: ORIGINS

by NegaiFreak

Where did it all start, you might wonder? Well, some stories aren't about just beginnings. They're also about how bonds between our heroes were forged. Join in as we partake in this 100-chapter story of how the Omni Force came to be, with each member getting a tale for themselves! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

1. Ben Tennyson

This is a story I'm sure everyone's been waiting for. To be frank, I was worried about doing this for the longest time. It's not just the fact that it's meant to be an origin series, but also that it's meant to be the one that'll explain everything for the Omni Force as a whole. I'm a little nervous still.

But hey, those nerves are probably gonna fade away the moment I get really into this series. For one, you can expect different openings and endings with each chapter, focusing on the character in question and how they became integrated into the Omni Force. And who else could we start with but Ben Tennyson himself?

Ben 10 was one of my favorite series growing up. And I know he's gone through a lot of changes, especially some that were rather mundane. Still, he holds a special place in my heart as one of the cartoon heroes I remember.

So now it's time for you all to see his story and how the Omni Force got started. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to "Omni Force: ORIGINS".

OMNI FORCE: ORIGINS

It started when an alien device did what it did…

Is that the story you were expecting to hear? A summer filled with alien adventures and the birth of the universe's greatest hero? Please, we needn't rehash tales that have already been told…

I'm sure by now, you're familiar with who I am. For those who aren't, my name is Xiaomei. Think of me as the narrator to this and all other stories we're about to tell.

Today, we'll be looking into the history of the Omni Force, and how it came to be. It may have started as a simple group of friends that traversed the leaps and bounds of the multiverse to meet each other, but it's become so much more as of now. But you may ask yourself, where did the name come from?

Well… allow me to tell you the story… of Ben Tennyson's second summer...

UNIVERSE-57

BELLWOOD, CALIFORNIA

"Metropolis?" Sandra Tennyson said as she blinked in surprise, standing outside her house with her husband, Carl.

"Yeah," their 11-year-old son responded as he hoisted his duffel bag over his right shoulder while also carrying a backpack, "Grandpa Max asked me to give him a list of places I'd wanna go and visit during our road trip," he explained, "I've always wanted to go to Metropolis!" he pointed out excitedly.

"Ben…" his father uttered, getting his attention, "You know how dangerous that city can be, right?" he inquired of him.

"Heh…" he chuckled, "It's not like I'm going to Gotham City at night…" he remarked with a shake of his head.

"No, but there are dangerous men out there," Sandra noted seriously.

"And Superman can't be everywhere at once," Carl mentioned.

"That's where you're wrong, Dad," Ben retorted to his parents' surprise, "Superman could hear a pin drop and he'd rush to save the day," he pointed out with a triumphant pose. At that moment, he glanced over and smiled excitedly to see his grandfather's RV pull up to the sidewalk. "And that's my cue!" he declared, hurrying over.

"Ah, Ben!" his mother cried out. However, her husband put a hand onto her shoulder, shaking his head.

"You know how he is, especially when it comes to superheroes these days…" he noted.

"I know…" Sandra responded, "It's just so weird that after last summer, he got so obsessed with heroes…" she pointed out. Just then, the passenger door window of the Rust Bucket rolled down, allowing them to see Max Tennyson there.

"Hey Carl!" he greeted, "Don't worry, I'll have Ben under control," he promised with a wink.

"Thanks, Dad," his son replied with a chuckle. In the meantime, the Omnitrix bearer opened the door and hopped into the RV, laughing excitedly.

"Finally, this summer vacation's gonna be a blast!" he proclaimed, "And if all goes well, I'll get to meet Superman in person!" he added excitedly.

"Huh," a familiar voice chuckled, causing him to blink in surprise, "In your dreams, doofus," she remarked as he slowly turned to find none other than Gwen Tennyson there, sitting at the coffee table, "You really think someone like Superman is gonna give you the time of day?" she inquired of him with a smirk. He grimaced.

"Grandpa, what's she doing here?!" he shouted in question as they started driving off.

"I thought I told you that your cousin was coming along again," Max replied, much to his dismay as he groaned.

"Besides, it's gonna take us a while to get to New York from here," Gwen mentioned while typing on her laptop, "Might as well take in the sights I want before yours," she advised.

"Aw man…" Ben moaned on.

"But hey, I'm actually glad you picked Metropolis," his cousin admitted to his surprise, "We'll get to see the Daily Planet building, Lexcorp, and all sorts of cool stuff," she listed off.

"Hmm…" the Omnitrix bearer hummed, glancing off to the side, "I just hope I'll get to see Superman in the end…" he confessed, setting his bags before sitting across from Gwen at the table. Max looked in his rearview mirror at the pair, smiling a little. However, a frown returned after a moment. He had misgivings over his grandson's choice of places to visit. But he would honor them as best he could.

OPENING

Insert "Hero" by Martin Garrix X JVKE

Opens with a ten-year-old Ben Tennyson trudging through the woods at the start of summer vacation. At that moment, a meteorite crashes into the ground just near him as he leaps away. He gets up, approaching the crater to find the small capsule at the bottom. It opens up, revealing the Omnitrix. He reaches for it before it ends up attaching to his arm, signaling the very start of his hero journey.

We continue with Ben transforming into Diamondhead to take out Vilgax's attack robot, him using Stinkfly to stop Dr. Animo, turning into Ripjaws to stop a group of poachers from stealing the Krakken's eggs, transforming into Grey Matter in order to defeat alien bounty hunters, and many other instances in which he emerges victorious.

However, he winds up getting captured by Vilgax, who tries extracting the Omnitrix from him. Through the use of multiple alien forms, Ben's able to defeat him, fleeing his ship before it self-destructs. We flash through the rest of his summer, seeing him continue to battle foes and learn more about the Omnitrix.

We flash ahead five years, seeing him get attacked by a DNAlien. He fights back, even though he doesn't have the Omnitrix on his person. Returning home, he reclaims the device, wondering if he should use it again. Ultimately, he decides that it's his best option as he sets it onto his wrist.

Later, he transforms into Swampfire as he takes down Kevin Levin, followed by battling foes like the Forever Knights as Echo Echo, and the Highbreed while transformed into Humungousaur. As time goes on, he joins forces with many people, leading up to several events, such as stopping the Highbreed invasion, fighting against Vilgax again, and doing away with many more foes.

But of course, he hasn't done it all alone. We see shots of him transforming into Feedback as a kid to absorb the yellow lightning bolts shot his way from a Zapdos, protecting Ash Ketchum and Misty Williams. What follows is him weaving around trees in the Forest of Death as Wildvine, fending off Orochimaru. Later, he transforms into Four Arms to confront Team Dosu when they attack Sakura Haruno.

He transforms into Upgrade, merging with Rex Salazar as they combine their powers to fight off the monstrous Alpha, followed by meeting up with the likes of Gingka Hagane and Hinata Hyuga as they smile at him. He's left to watch in awe as Rook Blonko subdues three criminals all by himself, with them becoming teammates shortly thereafter. He joins Avatar and her friends in taking down Equalist mecha suits in Republic City, followed by helping Fairy Tail fight off the Phoenix in the city of Veronica.

Finally, Ben transforms into Heatblast to confront the villainous Sunset Shimmer alongside Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and their friends outside of Canterlot High. We close out on a shot of an older Ben looking out to the horizon of Omnitrix City with a grin on his face. Floating behind him, there's a familiar figure with a red cape…

END OPENING

BEN TENNYSON

After a few fair weeks of traveling from the West Coast to the East, with a few eventful circumstances occurring here and there, Ben finally arrived in Metropolis with his cousin and his grandfather. Ever since that last summer, Ben has dreamed of becoming a hero fighting alongside members of the Justice League, especially Superman. Little does he know that he'll be fighting alongside him sooner than expected…

METROPOLIS, NEW YORK

"Whoa…" Ben uttered as he and his cousin stared up at the bronze globe atop the tall building from a nearby park.

"I know, right?" Gwen said, "Seeing the Daily Planet up close in person like this is amazing!" she exclaimed.

"It's cool, I guess," her cousin admitted with a shrug, causing her to look at him in surprise before she sighed.

"You know, even if there's a bad guy afoot," she began, folding her arms over her chest, "I doubt someone like Superman would need your help," she pointed out.

"Hmph," Ben scoffed, folding his arms over his chest, "You don't know that…" he grumbled, "What if he's up against somebody who's got Kryptonite?" he inferred.

"Well, he could always cancel it out with lead," Gwen answered to his surprise, "Did you not learn that in chemistry last year?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, really?" her cousin questioned as he blinked.

"Huh…" Max sighed from afar, leaning up against the Rust Bucket. He looked toward the Daily Planet building in the distance. His grandchildren looked back at him with concern.

"Uh, is it just me…" Ben began, "or is Grandpa not exactly thrilled to be here?" he presumed.

"He didn't seem all that excited about coming to Metropolis in the first place…" Gwen admitted, "I'm sure he'd like us to just go camping or something along those lines," she mentioned with an unsure shrug.

"Alright, kiddos," Max began as he approached, getting the pair's attentions, "Who's up for some ice cream before we find ourselves a nice hotel to stay at?" he inquired, placing his hands onto their shoulders.

"Yeah!" both Ben and Gwen responded. Suddenly, the trio heard a rumble in the distance, followed by spotting smoke billowing in the air.

"Uh oh…" the orange-haired girl uttered worriedly.

"Looks like just a normal fire," Max noted as he looked at the billowing smoke, "I'm sure the local authorities are on it," he affirmed confidently. Another blast went off.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like they're 'on it', Grandpa…" Ben concluded, hurrying off, "It's hero time!" he declared.

"Ben!" Max cried out. Gwen looked over at her grandfather in concern. She was worried herself, but knew that Ben would normally pull through in a crisis. So why was the retired Plumber so worried?

As he ran into an alleyway, Ben pressed the button of the Omnitrix, making the dial pop up as the green hourglass inverted into a diamond, with the silhouette of one of his many alien transformations appearing. He twisted it a couple times before finding what he needed.

"Fire calls for Heatblast!" he proclaimed, slamming his hand down onto the dial just before reaching the end of the alley. A green flash of light enveloped his body, with pale green crystals forming along his form. Crystal shards sprouted from his back, while his head became razor sharp. He wore a uniform that was black on the right half and white on the left with a black patch on the left shoulder where the Omnitrix symbol was. He emerged from the alley, looking himself over.

"Aw, Diamondhead?" he grumbled out, "Fine, whatever…" he muttered, hurrying over to the source of the flames. As he turned a corner to see the fleeing people, his eyes widened. Walking about was seemingly a man in a black combat suit… except his head was a purple skull that was apparently on fire. "Whoa…" the Petrosapien uttered in shock.

He watched as the villain approached a parked taxi cab, merely placing his hand upon it. It suddenly crumpled as it glowed in a purple light. Diamondhead found himself gasping in surprise to see a pair of women and a baby ducked behind the vehicle, as the man was about to reach out for them.

"Hey!" the Petrosapien yelled, readying his left arm as he morphed it into a set of crystal shards, "Get away from—!" His shout was interjected as a figure suddenly flew by. His eyes widened again at the sight of the red cape that flapped with the wind, belonging to none other than the man he wanted to meet, Superman. He punched the villain away, flying after him before grabbing ahold of him and slamming him against a nearby building.

Diamondhead was awed for a moment, only to snap out of his stupor upon noticing the debris falling towards people below. He quickly slammed his right fist against the ground, causing an array of pale green crystals to sprout from the ground, covering a few civilians before the debris could potentially crush them. They looked over in surprise to the Petrosapien, who reformed his arms.

"Everyone, clear out!" he advised, "Superman and I'll take care of that flame-brain," he declared, slamming his fists down onto the sidewalk he stood upon to shoot himself upward with a crystal spike. He latched onto the buildings nearby, jumping from one to another. He spotted the floating form of the Kryptonian, who was confronting the attacker.

"You've gone too far this time, Skull!" he proclaimed.

"They were just lawyers…" the villain retorted, "Come closer, and we can talk about it," he assured. Superman narrowed his eyes.

"You've gotten bigger…" he pointed out nervously. The Atomic Skull chuckled.

"That gene bomb that created me…" he began, "it's still going off…" he confirmed with a smirk. His eyes flashed purple before he fired a ray of light toward his foe. He crossed his arms over his face to defend himself, only to grunt from the blow. As the light subsided, he was surprised to find the black burn marks on his costume.

Skull lunged up at him, enticing him to fall back and land atop a nearby building. His opponent continued to try and strike him with his glowing fists, forcing him to dodge out of precaution. However, he managed to grab the Kryptonian's neck with both hands, zapping him with an electric-like energy.

"Feels weird being on the opposite end of the fight, doesn't it?" he presumed of his foe, rearing his right arm back, "So long, hero," he remarked, only for his arm to get grabbed, "Huh?" he uttered, turning his head to be met with a crystal fist to his face, making him stumble back as he let go of Superman, who fell onto his knees.

"Need a hand?" Diamondhead inquired, getting his attention as he looked over to see the Petrosapien extending his hand out to him, "I mean… n-not that you probably need it…" he stammered in admittance sheepishly.

"Oh, goodie…" Skull muttered, causing the pair to perk up, "Two heroes for the price of one…" he said, lunging out to tackle them over the edge of the building. Fortunately, Superman was able to regain his grip on the villain, while Diamondhead managed to latch onto the building as he sharpened his fingers into claws, using them to cut into the concrete and come to a stop.

"Superman!" he called out, seeing the Kryptonian fly about with Skull still in hand, slamming against building after building like earlier, along with a few lampposts. They rose high up into the air, as the villain put his hands onto his foe's neck again, unleashing his energy onto him.

"LET GOOOOO!" Superman suddenly bellowed, his voice's echo shattering the nearby glass windows, along with those of the cars on the streets below. It affected his foe as well, who grimaced as he held the sides of his head in pain before crashing onto the pavement.

"Ow…" Diamondhead muttered, rubbing the right side of his head, "Didn't know he could do that…" he admitted, leaping down to the ground. He quickly slammed his right fist against the ground, forming a wall of pale green crystals to prevent anyone else from accidentally getting involved in the ongoing skirmish. Meanwhile, Superman floated down as Skull got to his feet.

"Heheheh…" he chuckled, "Cute…" he remarked.

"Why did you attack those people?" the Kryptonian asked of him with a glare.

"To draw out the main course, of course…" he quipped in response.

"You used them for bait?" Superman inquired as he clenched his fists.

"Give me a break…" Skull grumbled, "I do what I do, you do what you do…" he muttered on.

"And I'll do what I do best!" Diamondhead's voice chimed in as he fired off several crystal shards towards the villain. He growled, unleashing purple laser beams from his eyes to eviscerate them. Gasping, the Petrosapien ducked from the rays. He gritted his teeth, slamming his fists against the ground. A trail of pale green crystals emerged from the pavement at Skull's feet, making him gasp as he suddenly found himself entrapped by them up to his neck.

"Huh," he chuckled out, "You've got nice friends, Superman," he remarked to the Kryptonian, "But even they're not gonna be enough to stop me!" he declared, unleashing a powerful shockwave of purple light that broke him free and blew his two foes back, also knocking over lampposts and power lines. The caped hero was able to grab a hold of one before it could hit the ground, using it to strike his opponent and send him flying like a baseball.

"Agh…" Diamondhead groaned as he got to his feet. He watched as Superman battled Skull, striking him again and again with the severed telephone pole. He managed to send him flying into the air with one good swing, followed by zooming after him. "Whoa!" the Petrosapien yelped, watching as the Kryptonian landed a mighty punch to his foe.

"I'm sure he's fine," Gwen affirmed from back at the park as she and her grandfather were walking around a pond, "He's probably just sucking up the attention for hero work as always," she grumbled. At that very moment, something crashed into the water, splashing over her and Max as they yelped. Steam billowed from the pond as Diamondhead ran to the park, panting for breath.

As the cloud settled, bystanders looked over to see the downed form of Atomic Skull on at the bottom of the evaporated pond. Superman then arrived, landing beside the defeated villain. He seemed rather frustrated, even angry as his right fist trembled. But ultimately, he rescinded from doing anything other than pick up his downed foe and fly him away, all while a crowd of people nearby cheered.

"That's Superman for ya!" one person exclaimed.

"Wow…" Gwen uttered, "I guess Ben wasn't kidding…" she admitted with a shrug, looking over to her grandfather. She blinked in surprise to see the unimpressed look on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No… I guess he wasn't," he concurred. Meanwhile, Diamondhead watched as the Kryptonian headed off with Skull in hand. He had actually helped him in the battle somewhat. And it made him all the more excited for what could potentially come of it.

X

"And then I made sure to block off traffic so that Superman could pummel that guy without worrying about getting other people hurt!" Ben explained excitedly in the Rust Bucket at dusk, "Aw man, it was the best!" he exclaimed as he sat down on his bed, lying back with a contented sigh.

"Good for you…" his cousin muttered from the coffee table, "but you might've put yourself in the spotlight…" she mentioned grimly.

"Huh?" the Omnitrix bearer uttered in confusion, getting up and walking over. He looked to see the article that she was looking at upon her laptop. "'Superman helped by Crystal Man spotted last year'…" he read, "I don't see how that's a bad thing…" he noted with an arched eyebrow.

"Superman's probably going to search for the guy who helped him beat Atomic Skull," Gwen inferred.

"Wh-Why?" her cousin stuttered in question, "Fight's over," he pointed out as he shrugged.

"Maybe he wants to make sure Diamondhead and anyone else that's been involved with alien activity isn't considered a bad guy," Gwen suggested in response, "You know each of your aliens has a connection to each other?" she inquired, pointing toward the alien device at her cousin's wrist.

"Oh…" he uttered, letting out a wince, "Well, it's whatever…" he claimed with a nervous chuckle, "I mean, hey…" he continued, "Maybe I'll get in the fold with the Justice League from all this," he suggested.

"Ben," Max sternly called out, getting his attention as he flinched in surprise, "You shouldn't get yourself involved in that," he advised seriously.

"Wh-Why not?" his grandson stammered in question.

"Yeah, why?" Gwen asked on, "It's not like Superman's a bad guy or anything…" she pointed out.

"Huh…" her grandfather sighed, "He's… not exactly someone I respect…" he admitted with crossed arms as he glanced away, "As much of an icon as he is, him being on Earth makes people more reliant on him than themselves," he pointed out.

"Well… that's a fair point…" his granddaughter responded.

"But that's only for bad guys like that Atomic Skull dude we took down," Ben chimed in, "Heroes help with all kinds of problems, big or small," he mentioned seriously, "That's what you taught me, right Grandpa?" he inquired of Max, making him blink in surprise before he sighed again.

"Like we planned, we're staying for only a couple more days," he confirmed to his grandchildren, grabbing his bags and heading for the door, "After that, it's off to the Southeast," he stated, leaving the Rust Bucket without another word.

"Okay… I didn't know Grandpa had such a problem with Superman…" Ben admitted as he went over to sit across from Gwen at the coffee table.

"It's probably because Superman's technically an alien not registered to the planet or something," she responded while clicking through her laptop, "But yeah, it's a shock that he doesn't appreciate what he does for the world…" she confessed, moving her laptop to show her cousin another article that she had found, "He was actually at the United Nations a day ago trying to foster peace, saying there's good to be found in everyone," she explained, "Of course, that got interrupted by the war between Bialya and Pokolistan…" she mentioned.

"Wait, Superman's in a war?!" Ben exclaimed in question, standing up from his seat.

"He's only trying to limit the damage between the two countries," Gwen corrected, "And there's something else…" she mentioned as she scrolled down on the article, "Let's see…" she uttered, narrowing her eyes. Just then, she and her cousin heard sirens blaring nearby. Running up to the front of the RV, Ben looked out the windshield to see a sports car driving crazily with a trio of police cars in pursuit of it.

"If Superman's involved in some crazy war, then Metropolis is gonna need another hero to help out," he affirmed, pressing the button of the Omnitrix to make its dial pop up.

"Ben, hold on a sec—!" Gwen's shout was interrupted as her cousin enveloped himself in a green flash of light upon smacking the dial of his alien device down. His body morphed, with him gaining orange skin as he turned into a large orange dog-like creature with no eyes, ears, nose, or tail. He stands on all fours and his movements are somewhat apelike. His teeth are very defined and his bottom jaw sticks out of his mouth, while three gill-like nostrils appeared on each side of his neck.

The luminosity subsided, revealing him as the Vulpimancer as he went down on all-fours. He growled indignantly in frustration before bursting out of the Rust Bucket, hurrying down the sidewalk as shocked onlookers moved aside for him. Gwen sighed, looking back at her laptop. Of the article's contents she had been reading, one thing in particular piqued her interest. She scrolled down until she found the somewhat blurry picture of four figures. Underneath the image was a tagline that read: 'New Heroes helping Superman?'.

"Who are these guys?" the orange-haired girl wondered, narrowing her eyes.

X

Let's skip ahead a day. Superman's involvement with the Bialya/Pokolistan conflict allowed for him to meet a new group of so-called heroes named the Elite. They consisted of Coldcast, an electrokinetic with incredible strength, Menagerie, a woman with the ability to control alien lifeforms that are on her person, Hat, a magician whose magic comes from within his fedora, and finally, Manchester Black, a powerful telekinetic and telepath.

Though the group helped Superman in Bialya, he's grown concerned of their true intentions, especially after Manchester was willing to kill terrorists they had apprehended. Between those events, Ben's been put into quite the spotlight lately with helping in Metropolis. But maybe he's caught more attention than he expected to…

"Last summer?" a confused Clark Kent uttered in confusion from his desk at the Daily Planet as he was approached by his girlfriend, Lois Lane.

"Mm-hmm," she responded with a nod, holding a set of pictures in her hands, "Multiple sightings of creatures across the country, all saving people and fighting off criminals," she told him.

"Sounds like these guys have quite a worldwide force," the spectacled man noted.

"Yeah, but there's another thing," Lois pointed out, "Check it out," she insisted, handing him the pictures for him to look through, "Notice anything familiar?" she inquired. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Clark spotted the hourglass-like dial upon each of the aliens.

"Same symbol…" he concluded.

"Not to mention…" his girlfriend continued, handing him another image, "your friend from a few days back," she said as he looked at the picture of Diamondhead, "From what I've seen, these guys have been helping keep the streets here safe while you were gone," she mentioned in a whisper.

"I'll have to thank them if I end up seeing one again," Clark realized, setting the images aside.

"Clark! Lois!" a voice called out, getting their attentions as they looked over to see Jimmy Olsen standing at the elevator, "Come on, you're not gonna believe this!" he beckoned, waving for the couple to hurry over. Moments later, they arrived at the scene of a fire happening in a nearby apartment.

"I don't see how this is something we should be here in person for…" Lois admitted as she grimaced. She looked over to her boyfriend, who nodded, ready to run off and change into his costume.

"Wait, there!" someone in the crowd called out. The Daily Planet employees looked up to see the flames being seemingly sucked downward onto the street. Clark glanced over and widened his eyes. Standing there with his hands absorbing the fire was a humanoid figure whose body was composed of a super-hot inner plasma covered by dark reddish-brown volcanic rocks. His feet had a slight oval-like design with only two toes and one back toe, while his collarbone resembled a volcano which generated a fiery 'hair' that covered his head, leaving his mask-like face visible with no nose or ears.

"Okay, that clears out most of the fire!" he yelled, "You're good to go, I think!" he noted to a group of firefighters on the scene. They hurried into the building as black smoke spewed into the air from the windows. The crowd cheered for the Pyronite, who turned and waved somewhat sheepishly, chuckling all the while. Clark noticed the hourglass-like symbol upon his chest.

"It's one of them…" he realized.

"I noticed," Lois responded, making her way through the crowd, "Excuse me!" she called out, getting Heatblast's attention as he spotted her approaching, grabbing a notepad and a pen from her pocket, "Lois Lane, Daily Planet," she introduced, "Can I get a couple questions?" she requested of him.

"Uh…" he uttered, only to blink in surprise as he heard the Omnitrix symbol start beeping, with the hourglass symbol blinking red.

"What's that?" Lois asked curiously.

"Oh, it's uh… an alarm for more trouble!" the Pyronite proclaimed in reclaim, suddenly flying off without another word thanks to the propulsion of the flames he unleashed from his hands and feet.

"…Okay…" Lois uttered, somewhat irritated by the abrupt departure. Clark narrowed his eyes, with his x-ray vision peering through a nearby building. Heatblast had landed on the roof before becoming enveloped in a red light, transforming back into Ben behind the enclosure that led inside.

"Agh, stupid watch…" he grumbled out, "Would've loved to give some words in place of Superman…" he muttered on with crossed arms. He then went over to the enclosure door, ready to head inside. However, as he tried to twist the door handle, he found that it was locked. "Oh come on…!" he groaned, falling onto his bottom, "Ugh…" he sighed, "Bet Superman's never this tired…" he noted to himself.

"No, but it can be a lot," a voice chimed in, causing him to gasp in surprise. He stood up and turned to find none other than the Kryptonian hero floating just above him. "Need some help getting down, son?" he offered. The Omnitrix bearer smiled. Back at the Rust Bucket, Gwen was looking into more and more articles regarding members of the Elite on her laptop.

They seemed like a ragtag group of metahumans, especially with their varying powers. Yet something about them didn't sit right with her. Her grandfather came over, seeing what she was looking at.

"Those Elite folks don't seem like the hero type…" he admitted, sipping his mug of coffee in hand.

"Yeah, but they're working with Superman," his granddaughter pointed out, "They saved a subway train, stopped Pokolistani bio-weapons…" she listed off, "Yet it sounds like there's a lot more to them than meets the eye," she mentioned in admittance, "Especially this guy," she added, scrolling to a picture of Manchester.

"Manchester Black, huh?" Max read.

"Apparently, he gained telekinetic and telepathic powers to try and save his sister from getting run over by a train," Gwen told him, "She didn't make it, but…" she continued, "Anyway, I noticed a couple of things about each of their members," she recalled, "They… all came from tough backgrounds," she pointed out.

"Most heroes do," her grandfather confirmed.

"Yeah, but this is crazy…" she admitted, "Where's Ben?" she asked, "I'd think he'd wanna look at this stuff…" she pointed out seriously. Just then, there was a knock at the door, getting their attentions. Setting his mug onto the coffee table, Max walked over, opening the door. He blinked in surprise to find none other than Superman there with the Omnitrix bearer.

"You must be this young man's grandfather," he concluded with a grin.

"Hey, Grandpa…" Ben sheepishly greeted, "I uh… kinda got lost…" he admitted as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Ben, where the heck were yooouuu… Oh my gosh…" Gwen uttered in shock upon seeing the Man of Steel in person.

"Found him locked out on a roof downtown," he confirmed, putting his hands onto the boy's shoulders, "Said your RV would stick out in the park like a sore thumb," he mentioned.

"Uh… yeah…" Max responded, "Thank you for finding him…" he said in gratitude, clearing his throat with a cough, "How in the world did you end up on a roof?" he wondered aloud.

"Like I said, I got kinda lost…" his grandson replied, "Thanks again, Superman," he said in gratitude to the Kryptonian, heading into the mobile home as his relatives stepped aside for him. The superhero took notice of the Omnitrix, giving off a curious look.

"So… uh…" Gwen began nervously, twiddling her fingers, "what's going on with you and those Elite guys?" she asked.

"…For the moment, it's complicated," Superman replied, "But I know they mean well," he affirmed with a grin, "Your grandson does, too," he mentioned to Max, whose eyes widened slightly. He then took on a serious expression.

"Gwen, go inside and shut the door, please," he requested of his granddaughter. She looked back at him in confusion for a moment.

"O-Okay…" she stuttered, heading inside and closing the door. Superman narrowed his eyes.

"Is there a problem?" he inquired.

"You saw my grandson transform, didn't you?" Max presumed in response.

"It's something to do with that thing on his wrist, right?" Superman guessed. The Plumber's eyes fixed into a glare. "How long has he had it?" he inquired.

"Over a year now," Max replied, "He's had a lot of experience with it," he mentioned, folding his arms over his chest.

"So I've seen," the Kryptonian noted in response, "He helped out quite a bit against Skull the other day," he recalled.

"What do you want with Ben?" the Plumber asked.

"I just want to make sure he's safe," Superman answered honestly, "I appreciate that he's been a big help in my absence," he added, floating up.

"We're not going to be staying much longer," Max confirmed.

"I know," the Kryptonian replied, "But thanks nonetheless," he mentioned gratefully, flying away in an instant.

"Huh…" the Plumber sighed, heading back into the RV.

"And it was the most amazing thing ever!" his grandson's voice exclaimed, getting his attention as he looked over to see him describing what had happened to Gwen, "He carried me all across the city before coming here, showing me all the cool sights you could only see by flying!" he explained excitedly.

"Uh, you could fly to those sights yourself, you know…" his cousin grumbled.

"Yeah, but it's not the same…" the Omnitrix bearer pointed out, "Getting flown around by Superman is so… surreal!" he mentioned excitedly. Max looked at his grandson for a moment before giving off a little smile. Even if Ben was too enthusiastic over meeting one of the world's greatest heroes, it was good to see him be inspired to be a better hero overall for people. But what he didn't realize was that things were about to take a turn for the worse…

X

The Elite had made themselves very well-known throughout the world as a force for good, even if it meant killing. Their involvement in the Pokolistani/Bialyan War has led to calm in exchange for lives, which Superman detests. But try as he might, his morals are struggling to stand against the world, which yearns for swift action.

And those morals are to be further tested in due time… along with Ben's…

"No way," the Omnitrix bearer said, slamming his hands down onto the coffee table in the Rust Bucket during the early evening, "Superman doesn't kill people…" he affirmed to his cousin across from him with a glare.

"Then explain this," she retorted, turning her laptop to show him the latest article she had discovered online, "'Superman and the Elite join forces to eliminate Pokolistani soldiers'," she read, "Even if Superman didn't do any killing himself, he let it happen," she pointed out.

"He never would!" Ben proclaimed in response, "That story's a fake!" he added vehemently.

"Try telling that to the Daily Planet, who reported on it," Gwen challenged rhetorically, making her cousin growl as he sat back down in his seat.

"Ben, I'm sure Superman wouldn't have let that happen," Max affirmed from refrigerator as he was putting away some to-go boxes, "Something must be going on with those guys from the Elite," he noted.

"Yeah, like that message from Manchester Black that got broadcast all over the world," Gwen recalled, "Goes to show just how powerful he is…" she mentioned grimly.

"If he's going around trying to kill people in Superman's name, I'm gonna stop him," Ben vowed.

"With what?!" his cousin questioned, "Last I checked, you don't have an alien that can deal with telepaths or telekinetics!" she pointed out. Meanwhile, Max went over to turn on the Rust Bucket's radio.

"We interrupt this program for a report that the Atomic Skull, also known as Joseph Martin, has broken out of Stryker's Island Penitentiary after a temporary blackout affected his cell," the man on the radio told listeners. Overhearing, Ben and Gwen widened their eyes.

"The guy you and Superman took down?" the latter guessed.

"Yeah…" her cousin replied, getting up from his seat, "Grandpa?" he said expectantly. Max let out a sigh.

"If it's you and Superman, I don't see a problem," he affirmed in response, "But be careful," he insisted.

"Always," his grandson remarked as a reply. Opening the Rust Bucket's door, the Omnitrix bearer hurried out down an alleyway. He pressed his device's button to make its dial pop up, with the hourglass symbol inverting into a diamond shape to reveal a silhouette of Heatblast. He twisted it a few times to look at the other options he found one he liked. "It's hero time!" he exclaimed, slamming the dial down, enveloping himself in an emerald flash of light.

Veins bulged from his arms as he transformed, gaining another pair of green eyes and a second pair of arms. He was becoming a humanoid, four-armed alien that was ten feet tall. He had well-developed muscles, two pairs of four-fingered arms, and red skin. A black stripe went from his chin to his lower lip, and he has four eyes: a main pair and a smaller pair below them, while he lacked ears or a nose. He had whisker-like spikes on each forearm. For his outfit, he wore a white t-shirt with a black line going down it, black pants, and fingerless gloves. He bore the Omnitrix symbol on his upper left shoulder. He burst out on the other side of the alley in his new form, looking himself over.

"Nice!" he said in a gruff voice, followed by hearing screams in the distance. He quickly leapt up, latching onto a nearby building before jumping to another. Afar, the situation was growing worse. Skull hadn't just broken out due to a blackout. He had pumped so much energy into the conduit that it overloaded, allowing him to escape with more power available than he had previously.

Already, his energy shockwaves were turning people to dust, which blew away with the wind. Even the police officers who shot at him were rendered into nothing but ashes. Lois and Jimmy were also on the scene, widening their eyes as the villain grabbed an unoccupied police car, lifting it up into the air with ease. He then tossed it towards them, enticing them to brace themselves. However, an impact never came. Having caught the car was Four Arms, who set the vehicle down gently. The reporter immediately noticed the symbol upon his left shoulder.

"You're… one of them!" she realized.

"Questions later, lady," the Tetramand advised, not bothering to look back at her as he cracked the knuckles of his upper hands, "I've got a date with skull-face…" he muttered, narrowing his green eyes onto the villain.

"So the boss decided to send another new sidekick?" his future foe grumbled in question, letting out a scoff, "What, am I not worth his time?" he wondered aloud.

"You're gonna be worth less than that after I'm done with you…" Four Arms declared.

"Ya mean, after we're done with 'im…" a British-accented voice chimed in, much to his surprise as he blinked. He turned his head to spot Manchester floating down alongside Coldcast, Menagerie, and Hat.

"That's not attractive at all…" the demonic-looking woman remarked upon seeing Skull.

"Finally someone you wouldn't do…" Coldcast remarked to her chagrin.

"Zip it, lovebirds," Manchester insisted, "Let's show big blue how it's done on his home turf…" he advised, cracking his knuckles, "Oi, four-armed wanker!" he called out to the Tetramand below, "Mind lettin' us in on the fun?" he requested.

"Hey, help is help, I guess…" Four Arms replied, narrowing his eyes. After hearing the telekinetic talk about Superman so disparagingly, he wondered what his true intentions in this battle were.

"Good call, chap," he remarked in reply, "And aren't you an ugly wanker…" he mentioned down to Skull.

"Sending in the B-team now?" he questioned, sounding irritated, "I want the boss, not the interns!" he declared, thrusting his right arm out to unleash a blast of purple energy up towards his airborne foes. It struck Coldcast, knocking him down to the street in a yell as he tumbled to a stop.

"Uh oh…" Four Arms uttered in panic, knowing that Skull wasn't so powerful the last time they fought. He then unleashed a shockwave of energy from his body, blowing the Tetramand back along with the other Elite members, even as Manchester tried shielding them. Coldcast sat up, only for Skull to lunge over and slam him against the ground. He punched him repeatedly as the pavement cracked beneath them.

Witnessing from afar, the Tetramand reared his four arms back before clapping them together, unleashing a shockwave to knock the villain off of the electrokinetic, who sat up. Skull came to a stop and unleashed more rays of light at his foes, only for them to jump away as they struck the ground in powerful blasts. Getting up from where she had crashed, Menagerie witnessed the pair needing to flee from their foe.

"Leave them alone!" she yelled, flying out at him. He took notice, firing blasts up at her instead. She evaded them, unleashing her symbiotic parasites from her body to seemingly entrap him. However, a purple light emitted from between the monsters, as Skull eradicated them in an instant, with the remainder of their bodies dissolving into ashes. He then fired off another blast toward the demonic-looking woman, who folded her wings to defend herself. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as she was immediately knocked to the ground in a scream, with purple flames smoldering around her.

"This guy's way tougher than last time…" Four Arms noted aloud, "Bigger, too…" he mentioned as his eyes narrowed. As Skull attempted to release another shockwave, he suddenly found himself blown back by the telekinetic waves of Manchester, who had emerged from the building he crashed into. He sent his opponent sliding back into another edifice in a flurry of dust, while the Tetramand leapt over.

"Said he's bigger than before, ey?" he inquired of his comrade, "Looks to me like the wanker got some juice from wherever he was…" he mentioned. Before Four Arms could say anything, he gasped upon noticing the purple light emitting from the hole in the wall.

"Look out!" he yelled, lunging aside to evade the ray that was unleashed, blasting through another building. Skull then emerged, energy coursing around his fists.

"So, what's it gonna take this time?" he wondered, "An intern's head or two?" he presumed on as both Manchester and Four Arms grimaced.

"Black!" a familiar voice called out, getting their attentions as they looked into the sky to see Superman diving towards them, "Shield up!" he quickly instructed. Spotting him, Skull fired off rays of purple light. But the Kryptonian rammed through them, striking him fiercely. The blast that resulted was blocked off thanks to the telekinetic energy being emitted by Manchester, whose hands were stuck out.

"Superman!" Four Arms exclaimed.

"Don't just… stand there!" the telekinetic insisted, trying to contain the blast as best he could. Ultimately, his barrier fell in a burst of purple light, with Superman flying back from an enflamed Skull.

"Time for some arm work!" the Tetramand decided, charging forward. He was joined by the Kryptonian, landing fierce haymakers to their opponent. However, he retaliated with just as much strength, making them wince. He then managed to land a blow to Four Arms' stomach, sending him tumbling back. He would've bowled over Hat if Manchester hadn't caught him in telekinetic field.

"You alright, chap?" he inquired, only to hear a gasp of breath from the Tetramand, "Yeah, I hear ya…" the telekinetic responded, "This wanker's a lot tougher than most…" he realized, narrowing his eyes as Superman and Skull exchanged punches powerful enough to shatter any windows nearby.

"I think that rest at Stryker's did me some good!" the villain proclaimed, striking his foe with an uppercut that sent him crashing through several buildings in an instant, as onlookers watched in disbelief. Skull then approached Manchester and Four Arms, with the former stepping out in front of the villain defensively. After exchanging glares, the two thrusted their arms towards each other, their respective energies colliding as they attempted to push each other back. Getting to his feet, the Tetramand could only watch the struggle continue. He saw the telekinetic grimace as his nose was bleeding. Ultimately, he was overpowered by Skull as his energy knocked him away, making him fall over onto the pavement.

"No!" Four Arms exclaimed, glaring and growling at the villain, who charged his fists with energy again as he chuckled. However, Superman flew in and tackled him, crashing up against a nearby restaurant. He then assaulted him with multiple punches to his head, trying desperately to knock him out. However, he retaliated by grabbing him by his shoulders and head-butting him, making him stumble back.

As he grabbed him again and threw him against the ground, the Tetramand ran over, rearing his four fists back. Unfortunately, he was too late to stop the villain as he channeled a mass of energy in between his arms, bringing it down onto the Kryptonian. The attack wound up creating a shockwave of energy, blowing Four Arms away while also spreading further along the street. Screaming citizens fled for their lives, while an awed Terrence Baxter watched in disbelief, paralyzed with fear. He didn't even register his father, Efrain, wrapping his arms around him and shielding him with his own body until it was too late. The shockwave washed over them, and the professor was reduced to an ashen mold of himself.

Superman withstood the attack, thankfully, retaliating with red heat vision rays shot from his eyes. They struck Skull, sending him crashing into the restaurant again. Standing up, the Kryptonian looked towards the remainder of the crowd still present in the air, knowing that they were at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

"Hat!" he called out to the magician, who was down on the ground from the last shockwave, "Form a perimeter!" he commanded, followed by getting struck by another one of Skull's rays, sending him flying back. Getting to his feet, Hat readied his fedora, making a blue light emit from it as it was held in his right hand. More lights emerged from the ground, revealing samurai-like, demonic statues that walled off citizens from the battle. They held their blades in front of themselves as they marched forward, enticing people to hurry away while they still could.

In the meantime, Superman was practically helpless when it came to withstanding Skull's repeated blows. Even as he tried to retaliate, he found his fist caught by the villain, who attempted to smash him against the ground as his own extremity charged with energy. Fortunately, Four Arms rushed in and landed a pair of left haymakers to free his comrade, only for Skull to slam his fist against the ground, creating a shockwave that blew both of them back.

"Agh…" the Tetramand groaned as he pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his head, "This guy's kicking our butts up and down the street…" he grumbled. Standing up with a grimace, Superman looked over to see Coldcast being brought over by Menagerie.

"Coldcast, can you absorb energy or just project it?" he asked of the electrokinetic.

"Hell's yes if I can get that sucker before he gets me…" he responded with a grin.

"Oi, you can't boss my team!" Manchester pointed out as he floated over.

"We're all in this mess together, aren't we?" Four Arms rhetorically inquired, looking back to see Skull approaching, "Let's do this!" he yelled, charging forward. From all directions, the group of heroes attacked, with Manchester firing off telekinetic blasts, Menagerie releasing her demonic parasites, and Superman and the Tetramand charging in with punches. Even Hat worked to act as a distraction, jumping in with his fedora at the ready.

However, none of them were managing to withstand Skull's blows. It came to the point where he grabbed hold of the Kryptonian, repeatedly punching him again. But before he could land another strong blow, Four Arms grabbed his right arm with all four of his.

"I don't think so, skull-face!" he yelled, letting off a smirk as his grip on the villain was tight. It allowed for Coldcast to leap over onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck. The purple, flaming light emitting from his body began channeling into the electrokinetic's. He tried to shake him off, only for Superman to grab his left arm and hold him tightly alongside Four Arms.

"The man giveth and the man taketh away!" Coldcast remarked as he continued taking in as much of his foe's energy as he could, yelling all the while. Ultimately, Skull was reduced to his prior appearance, barely glowing as he toppled over onto the ground on his stomach out of his enemies' arms. The electrokinetic roared as he absorbed the last of the energy he could, grimacing afterward. Menagerie flew over to check on him, while both Superman and Four Arms knelt down, breathing exhaustedly as the fight was officially over. But not all was settled.

Purple flames smoldered from Skull's head. As he pushed himself up, he could hear the approaching footsteps of a figure, being Manchester. He got onto his knees to see him pointing his fingers at him.

"You're buggered, mate," he noted, "Give my regards to Satan then…" he remarked, ready to attack him.

"No," Superman chimed in, standing up as the telekinetic looked over at him with a bewildered expression, "He's going back to Stryker's," he affirmed.

"Back to jail?" Manchester inquired, "Are you daft?!" he shouted in question, "This is what happens!" he pointed out, gesturing to the wrecked surroundings, "More pain! More suffering!" he listed off.

"Uh… hey…" Four Arms uttered as he stood up in a grunt.

"We are not the law," Superman stated firmly, "We do not—"

"Kill him…" a voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they looked over to see Terrence cradling his now-deceased father in his arms. The Kryptonian went over to him. "Kill him," he requested with a saddened expression.

"…I'm sorry…" Superman apologized, lowering his head and shutting his eyes with shame. Four Arms was shocked. He never imagined that the Man of Steel would have his morals tested. And from how things stood, he was in a losing battle.

"Hey, shouldn't we think about this?" he inquired of Manchester.

"What's there to think about, mate?" he questioned back to his surprise, "Even if this bloke's back in the slammer, he'll get out again," he presumed, "There's only one way to end this…" he affirmed, aiming his fingers like a gun towards Skull.

"Do it, Manchester!" one person in the crowd yelled. Soon, practically everyone else followed with their own shouts, begging for the Elite's leader to take the villain's life. Lois and Jimmy were stunned.

"Stop!" the reporter of the two called out to the yelling crowd, "Listen to Superman!" she begged. Unfortunately, her words were being drowned out by the anger of everyone else. The Kryptonian himself heard everything, turning to look back at Terrence and his dead father.

"He…" he tried to say, "He wouldn't want—"

"It's your fault!" the boy shouted, interrupting him, "You beat him already!" he pointed out, "You did it your way, and…" he continued, letting off a grimace as tears pricked his eyes.

"And he failed," Manchester finished for him as he floated up, "Is that the world you want?" he inquired of Terrence and those in the area, "Or should monsters like this get what they deserve?" he questioned on, enticing the boy to look over at him.

"W-Wait a sec…" Four Arms stammered, while Gwen and Max arrived on the scene, widening their eyes at the sight of the telekinetic.

"Say it, kid," he requested of Terrence.

"No…" Superman said, turning to the boy, hoping he would make the right choice. Unfortunately, his grief and anger had already spoken.

"Do it," he said. Hearing that, the Kryptonian lunged out hurriedly toward Manchester, who aimed his fingers towards Skull again. His eyes flashed with a dark turquoise energy as onlookers widened their eyes.

"WAI—!" Four Arms' shout came too late as the telekinetic's psychic blast shattered the skull of the villain, just before Superman tackled him into a building. As the crowd cheered at the sight, the Tetramand dropped to his knees in shock. He had never seen anything like that before. It was horrifying. And it was even scarier with all the cheers from the people around him. He wasn't even registering the fact that Omnitrix symbol on his shoulder was blinking red and beeping. Gwen lightly gasped upon spotting it.

"Hey! Get out of here!" she yelled out to him, snapping him out of his stupor as he quickly took to his feet and leapt away. Superman looked on, mortified for the Tetramand. He had just seen a chilling execution in public.

"Can't blame the little bugger for gettin' spooked," Manchester remarked, catching his attention, "But that's how it needs to be," he affirmed, floating back to join his colleagues, "Mate's gotta learn sooner than later, right?" he presumed before he and the others disappeared in a flash of light. The Kryptonian's fists trembled before he floated down to the ground, removing his cape and using it to cover Skull's body. Lois, Jimmy, Gwen and Max watched on, stunned by what had just unfolded. It seemed as if a new breed of justice had won over morality…

X

The moment the Omnitrix finally timed out, Ben was in an alleyway, hyperventilating. His parents had always warned him about things like scary movies with gruesome imagery. Though Skull's death wasn't as brutal as he envisioned, the mere sight of someone killing him on the spot was shocking. So shocking in fact… that the Omnitrix bearer couldn't hold himself back from puking onto the ground. He breathed heavily after emptying his stomach, dropping to his hands and knees while sniffling.

If there was any silver lining to the whole ordeal, he didn't even want to bother trying to find it. He felt completely helpless. Maybe if he had done something differently, no one would've been killed. He tried to pick himself up as he whimpered, wiping his lips. At that moment, a figure landed behind him.

"Are you alright?" Superman's voice asked, causing him to widen his eyes as he turned to see the Man of Steel there with his cape back on. His eyes shaking, Ben cried as he embraced the hero's leg, trembling all the while. He gave off a sympathetic look. "Come on," he beckoned, "Let's get you back to your grandpa," he advised. A little while later, the Omnitrix bearer was sitting on his bed in the Rust Bucket with a blanket over himself as he stared off at the wall beside him despondently. His cousin looked on worriedly.

"Shouldn't Manchester be taken in for publicly executing someone?" she inquired of her grandfather.

"Even if the police could get their hands on him, I doubt they'd do anything now," he explained in response, "Everyone's already decided that it was the right way to serve justice…" he added, narrowing his eyes.

"And… do you think it was right?" Gwen asked of him.

"…Of course not, sweetie," he responded, crouching down and putting a hand onto her shoulder, "And you shouldn't feel like any of what happened was your fault," he mentioned to her and his grandson. He stared down at the Omnitrix.

"Grandpa…" he uttered out, "Did you… ever have to kill bad guys?" he inquired aloud to Max's surprise. However, he sighed.

"Sometimes, I didn't have a choice," he answered, walking over to sit down next to Ben, "I had to think about things that made me question my morals and what I felt was right," he affirmed on, making his grandson perk up slightly, "As much as I don't like how people are reliant on heroes, I know that Superman's morals are right," he admitted, "He's always been there to save whoever he can in a crisis," he added.

"What about that skull guy?" Ben wondered, "Did he deserved to be saved?" he questioned on.

"What he deserved was to get locked up and have his key thrown away," Gwen answered as she approached, "Let the law decide his fate from there," she stated, "A hero's job is to stop the bad guys and save lives," she noted on.

"And that's exactly what you did, Ben," Max assured to his grandson, putting his hand onto his shoulder. He lowered his head again.

"…But what if it's not enough?" he asked. His grandfather sighed once more.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," he admitted, standing up, "Get some rest," he advised, "We'll stick around for a few more days before we head up the coast," he decided. Ben lied down on his bed on his side, stuck in contemplation. Gwen watched on worriedly. She had never seen her cousin so distraught.

"Grandpa—"

"We'll figure it out together, Gwen," he assured, interjecting her before she could say anything else.

"Right…" she said, glancing back at Ben before walking over to join Max at the front of the Rust Bucket. The Omnitrix bearer looked at his device, wondering if he would ever have to make a decision to take a life in order to save others. Were the Elite right? Were Superman's ways of justice obsolete in this new era? He had a lot to think about.

X

As the world began turning against Superman's methods, he himself was hoping to see his morals through, even in these bleak hours. Unfortunately, the Elite continued to be the symbols of a new era; one in which change would come with stopping wars and villains by any means necessary. And as such, they're willing to take care of the Bialyan/Pokolistani conflict by themselves…

But in the meantime as a few days have gone by… how has Ben been faring?

"Doofus, hello!" Gwen shouted to what she assumed was her cousin hidden under the covers of his bed, "We're about to leave," she told him, "Might wanna get up before you get yourself thrown around…" she pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest. It had been two days since Skull's public execution. Ben barely talked at all since. He was apparently wanting to be distant, just to think more on his role as a hero in this new age. Sitting at the driver's seat and glancing back, Max sighed.

"Ben, come on…" he said, getting up and walking over to the bed, "I know things are tough, but I'm sure they'll get better," he affirmed, removing the covers, "You just need to—" He stopped talking as he and his granddaughter widened their eyes, finding that the Omnitrix bearer wasn't there, with a couple of pillows in his place.

"Of course…" Gwen grumbled out, while Max sighed again. Out on the streets of Metropolis, Ben wandered about with his hands stuffed in his pockets. As he turned a corner, he saw the construction taking place at the site of where Skull was killed. The vivid memory flashed through his head as he grimaced, letting out a sigh. He looked at the Omnitrix on his wrist again, wondering what he was to do next.

"What would you do… Superman?" he wondered aloud.

"It's never too late for peace, Black," the Kryptonian's voice echoed, causing him to blink in surprise. He looked around before finding a nearby crowd gathered underneath a video board upon a building, broadcasting the Man of Steel. As it turned out, he had stopped Bialyan forces from attacking Pokolistan, destroying their fighter jets and saving the pilots without harm to a single soul. "That's what I'm trying to make you understand," he told Manchester, who stood across from him on the screen as they stood in the middle of a park with a crowd gathered around them.

"No…" the telekinetic said, "No, I mean it's a bit too late because the leaders of Bialya and Pokolistan are as dead as bunch of dead wankers…" he pointed out. Most gathered gasped.

"No…" Ben uttered in disbelief.

"What?!" Superman exclaimed.

"Well, ya know…" Manchester said, "The opposite of alive," he remarked rather callously, "Dead," he confirmed. The Omnitrix bearer trembled, clenching his fists. If it wasn't for the Elite, maybe peace could've been fostered. It'd have been difficult from the way things sounded between the countries, but it was possible. And yet, all of that was rendered moot. "No one was gonna blink here, Supes," the telekinetic told the Kryptonian as Menagerie and Coldcast appeared alongside him and Hat in flashes of light, "I read their minds, got all their precious little state secrets," he mentioned on, "Bottom line is that the war of jack-offs was just going to escalate 'til this dung heap of a region was turned to glass," he explained, looking at the camera, "No offense," he added.

"Grrr…" Ben growled out. Gwen and Max were running over, only to widen their eyes at the sight of the broadcast as they stopped.

"No… you didn't…" Superman uttered in disbelief, hoping the Elite hadn't gone through with killing the countries' leaders.

"The only logical thing to do was to slaught the whole McGill and start over…" Manchester noted as he floated up above the crowd, "So congratulations, children!" he exclaimed, "Your leaders are all dead!" he declared, "Peace reigns supreme!" he added proudly.

"NO!" the Kryptonian bellowed, lunging up at him. The whole world slowed for everyone watching, especially Ben. They were about to witness the Man of Steel attack the England-born hero, who had captured the public eye with his and his team's swift acts of justice.

"No…" the Omnitrix bearer uttered, watching as Superman landed a punch to Manchester's face, even as he created a telekinetic energy barrier to soften the blow. He fell to the ground and razed through it, coming to a stop while blood spilled from his mouth. The Kryptonian landed down, glowering over him as he approached. He readied his right fist, but was stopped as Coldcast grabbed his arm, followed by Menagerie and Hat surrounding him as well, with the former having one of her parasitic monsters wrap around his neck, while the latter drew a sword to his throat.

"Wait…" Manchester said, wiping his lips as he stood up and approached Superman, enticing his teammates to step away, "In a week, people'll forget these countries even existed," he affirmed confidently, "But they'll never forget the day Superman declared war on their favorite son…" he mentioned.

"What?!" Ben exclaimed, while the crowd around him started murmuring. Everyone was in shock by the declaration. The Elite were now going after the Kryptonian hero. The Omnitrix bearer growled before running off in frustration. Gwen took notice.

"Ben!" she cried out, hurrying after him with Max. He turned a corner, breathing heavily as he continued to run. He found his way into a park, panting as he came to a stop, dropping to his hands and knees. Sweat dripped from his head before his fingers dug into the dirt beneath him, closing his hands into fists. His relatives approached nervously.

"Ben?" his grandfather said.

"Can we stay one more day, Grandpa?" the Omnitrix bearer requested to his surprise, "I think Superman's gonna need my help," he affirmed as he stood up determinedly. Later that evening at the Rust Bucket, Gwen was watching the news broadcast about the events that were unfolding on her laptop while seated by the coffee table. She looked back at her cousin, who was sitting patiently upon his bed.

"Ben…" she uttered, "we have to leave," she insisted firmly, "Who knows how much of Metropolis is gonna get destroyed from this…" she pointed out in a grim tone.

"Superman's gonna make sure he chooses the battlefield," her cousin affirmed in response, "There's no way he'll let people get involved," he mentioned assuredly.

"Ben," Max chimed in, "we're leaving tonight," he decided, "Even if this fight's not going to cause harm to anyone else, there's no reason for you to get involved," he pointed out.

"But I know it's happening," his grandson retorted to his surprise, "I know what Superman's going up against," he added, narrowing his eyes as his arms trembled, "That's why I've gotta fight," he stated.

"Ben, you can't be—!" Before Gwen could finish her shout, there was a knock at the door. Max approached it cautiously, opening it up to find none other than the Kryptonian there. He had a troubled look on his face.

"Is your grandson here?" he inquired. Getting up from his bed, Ben came over, blinking in surprise. A few minutes later, he was standing atop a building with the Man of Steel.

"I'm sorry you had to see what happened the other day," Superman apologized, "I don't know if I hesitated or—"

"Trust me, I know it's not your fault," the Omnitrix bearer interjected.

"You know it's happening tomorrow, right?" the Kryptonian inquired of him.

"Yeah," he responded, "When?" he asked.

"Dawn," Superman answered, "Your grandfather said you were planning on leaving tonight," he pointed out.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ben declared, clenching his fists.

"But you should," the Man of Steel insisted in response, "I don't want you getting caught up in all of this fighting," he pointed out.

"That's—!"

"However, I do have a favor to ask of you," Superman confirmed, interrupting him. Moments later, the Omnitrix bearer's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what his hero had just told him.

"A…Are you serious?" he stuttered out.

"If it comes to it, that'll be the only thing I can do to stop them," the Kryptonian responded, "So now, what do you plan on doing?" he inquired of Ben, "Are you going to get involved?" he questioned on, "Or are you going to keep your distance and stay safe?" he finished asking. The Omnitrix bearer gulped. He was conflicted about what the Man of Steel vowed to do, should the situation call for it. But at the same time, he knew that if he didn't, the world would be at risk to a drastic change.

"Okay…" he said, making Superman blink in surprise, "I'll do my job as a hero… and save lives," he vowed firmly.

"…That's all I can ask," the Kryptonian replied with a hopeful smile. Just a few moments ago, he seemed troubled. But now, he felt reaffirmed thanks to the young boy before him, as he still believed in being a hero with just morals.

X

With their ultimatum dealt to Superman, the Elite had seemingly not only the advantage in numbers, but in power as well. Not to mention, the public eye was steered in their favor. Though they honored the Man of Steel's last request to take the battle away from Metropolis to Earth's moon, they weren't willing to change their ways of justice.

And so, as their battle begins, so does Ben's test to be a true hero…

As the battle between Superman and the Elite was broadcast across the world, Ben could only watch as his favorite hero struggled against the team of vigilantes. No one was saying a word. No one cheered at Manchester's speech about the new era that lied ahead. They just watched.

And when it all seemed like it was over after Coldcast's powerful electric blast that razed through the moon's surface, the Omnitrix bearer clenched his fists. His cousin approached him nervously, about to extend a hand. But at that very moment…

"I finally get it…" Superman's voice echoed over the broadcast, causing everyone to perk up in shock, thinking he had just been eviscerated, "Thank you…" he said.

"Wh… How…?" Gwen uttered out in disbelief, "I mean, even if it's Superman, that kinda power should've—"

"Gwen," her cousin interjected, getting her attention, "Don't say anything," he advised seriously, "All we can do… is watch," he decided, even as his fists trembled. As the Elite were left baffled as to how Superman could've survived, let alone still speak to them, Menagerie was hit with what appeared to be a dart with the Man of Steel's emblem. All of a sudden, she toppled over screaming, while her parasitic demons fled from her body, followed by her wings molting away as she was seemingly dead.

"Oh no…" Gwen uttered with fear. Ben kept watching. A torrent of air then came over the Elite, sucking up Menagerie. Hat tried to put a stop to the Kryptonian's vortex, but the vacuum of air seemingly made his lungs collapsed as he choked, getting sucked away as well.

Manchester was panicked. He hadn't expected Superman to kill his teammates, let alone do so ruthlessly. In the end, he and Coldcast were teleported off of the moon in a flash of light. The moment they left, Ben ran into an alleyway. Max saw, but said nothing. His grandson pressed the button upon the Omnitrix, making the dial pop up as the hourglass symbol inverted, revealing a silhouette of a velociraptor-like creature.

"It's hero time!" he proclaimed, slamming the dial down to envelop himself in a flash of green light. His body began to morph, with his blood vessels bulging. As the light around him faded, it revealed he had transformed into a humanoid Velociraptor with a black tail that had blue stripes, a blue face with green eyes and black lips, a pointed head that was like a helmet, and black balls on his blue feet that looked like wheels. The Omnitrix symbol was on his chest, over a white color on his shirt.

"Let's how elite these Elite guys really are!" he remarked, letting a visor with a blue x come down over his face as he sped off instantaneously in a black-and-blue blur. Manchester and Coldcast had returned to Metropolis, standing in the middle of the street as their cameras hovered around them.

"What the hell are you doin'?!" the latter asked of the team leader, "Pam is still up there!" he pointed out in panic, "We can't ju—!"

"He won't do anything here," the telekinetic assured, putting his left hand onto his chest as people around them backed away nervously, "Not with the sheep around us…" he mentioned. He and Coldcast stood back-to-back, awaiting their foe's arrival. XLR8 sped through another alley toward the street, screeching to a halt at the very end. He peeked out to see the two Elite members in ready stances, appearing cautious. If anything were to happen, they could just teleport away again thanks to Bunny. The Kineceleran let his visor come up as he narrowed his eyes.

"Any time now, Supes…" he grumbled quietly.

"Bunny, get ready to port again," Manchester advised of the sentient bacterial colony above, "The second he shows his ass, I'm gonna flatten this whole city!" he declared, much to his comrade's surprise.

"Chester, wait—!" Before he could say anything else in warning, he disappeared in an instant, letting out little more than a yelp in the process. As the telekinetic turned, his eyes widened.

"Holy shi—" He didn't even have time to finish his remark, quickly putting up a psychic barrier around himself for defense as something was coming towards him, razing through the street as cars and trucks were caught up in its wake. Many people fled the scene in shock, some seemingly unable to escape the sudden occurrence. As Manchester brought his barrier down, he looked around for Coldcast. "Where did he go…?" he asked in between breaths, "Where did he freakin' go?!" he questioned again frantically.

"Orbit," Superman's voice echoed from above in response, getting his attention, "He went into orbit at Mach Seven," he confirmed on, right before a red blur crashed onto the ground in front of the telekinetic. It was the Man of Steel himself, bloodied, battered, and bruised. But he stood up all the same. "If you had super-hearing," he continued, "any second you'd hear the… pop," he said, having an almost sadistic look in his eyes. Everyone watching was stunned. Running onto the scene was Lois, who had a frightened look on her face.

"Oh no…" she uttered out, thinking things had taken a turn for the worst with the man she loved. Gwen and Max also arrived, shocked by Superman's battle damage, but even more concerned with what he was about to do next. Manchester clenched his teeth.

"You crazy son of a bitch!" he yelled, making his eyes flash as he concentrated his psychic energy, "YOU KILLED MY TEAM!" he bellowed, releasing waves of energy that sent debris out towards his foe.

"Your team of killers…" he corrected, zipping aside to evade the debris with ease, followed by dodging more without so much as a care, smiling all the while, "Now guess what?" he said, speeding right up to Manchester as he floated in front of him, "They won't be killing anyone else…" he affirmed. He reared his right arm back as he clenched his fist, smiling crazily all the while. The telekinetic quickly brought his hands up, forming a barrier of psychic energy to block the Man of Steel's punch, resulting in a powerful shockwave.

"Whoa!" Gwen yelped as she stumbled back into her grandfather's arms from the attack's force.

"See?!" Superman shouted to his opponent, punching his barrier over and over, "I've finally bought what you've been selling!" he remarked, while Manchester was starting to look strained. Eventually, his barrier as he was sent sliding back along the street. He clenched his teeth, looking back to spot more debris around him, along with some cars. He telekinetically lifted them up, having them swirl about for converging and crushing the Kryptonian in an instant.

"Superman!" Max cried out. The Elite leader breathed with reprieve for a moment, thinking that he had finally stopped the now murderous Man of Steel for good. However, the crushed debris shook as a pair of hands pushed it apart from the inside, revealing that the Kryptonian was still ready to fight. Manchester grimaced, followed by watching the debris shatter apart, flying about wildly and striking nearby buildings.

Terrence, who was in the crowd, watched in shock at how Superman was acting. He glanced over and spotted Lois, catching her eye… right before a car came down and seemingly crushed her. He looked over and saw that more people were getting caught up in the destruction as well. Max and Gwen were trying to flee, only for some debris to head towards them. An explosion of dust erupted.

"YOU BLOODY PSYCHOPATH!" Manchester roared, unleashing psychic waves of energy onto the Kryptonian, who seemed to be barely fazed by them as he stepped forward. The smile hadn't left his face.

"How does it feel, Black?!" he inquired to his foe, who gritted his teeth as he kept bombarding his enemy with his power, "How does it feel to be deconstructed?! To be the victim?!" he questioned on, "TO WATCH YOUR DREAMS DIE?!" he roared out, continuing his approach on the telekinetic without any sign of being stopped. Manchester raised his hands towards him.

"Let me show ya, ya self-righteous hypocrite!" he bellowed, releasing a powerful burst of psychic energy that managed to send his foe tumbling back along the street. He rolled to a stop upon his stomach, pushing himself back up. His eyes burned red as he glared at his target. "Heat vision?" he presumed upon noticing, "You can barely stand, let alone fry my face!" he proclaimed cockily. However, Superman smirked.

"I'm not aiming for your face…" he noted. His super-vision was honing in on the telekinetic's brain, noticing a part of it that seemed relatively different than usual. Manchester was ready to attack again, but…

"AAAHHH!" he suddenly cried out in pain, grabbing at his head as he fell to his knees. As he lifted himself up, he saw the Man of Steel looming before him. "You're not dyin'…" he realized, "I'm thinkin' it, but…" he continued as he looked at his hands, "why can't I feel my power?!" he questioned in panic.

"I scanned your brain for abnormalities," Superman told him, "and when I found one…" he kept going as he grinned, "I cut it out…" he confirmed.

"What?!" Manchester exclaimed in disbelief.

"Heat vision," the Kryptonian said, "Focused through your pupils like a scalpel," he pointed out, "Instant lobotomy," he added… right before smacking the now powerless man in the face. He followed up with another strike, making him spin back. It was child's play at this point. All Superman needed to do was lightly tap him, and it'd be over. Manchester fell to his hands and knees, blood dripping from his lips and tears pricking his eyes.

"This isn't you…!" he gasped out pleadingly, "You don't do this!" he wailed. The Man of Steel didn't seem to care, readying his right fist while grabbing his enemy's coat. Onlookers watched on with horrified expressions. Terrence ran forward.

"No!" he yelled, "It doesn't have to be that way, Superman!" he pointed out desperately, "You taught us that!" he mentioned.

"No…" Manchester grunted, "He taught ya that he's no better than the rest of us!" he proclaimed, trying to free himself from the Kryptonian's grasp as he grabbed at his arm, "You all saw!" he exclaimed, "Everyone on Earth saw what you did to us!" he added, "They know you know better!" he shouted on, "There's nothing special 'bout you!" he finished. The crowd around them watched in utter disbelief. All around the world, the scene was being broadcast.

"…Yes, they did see," Superman confirmed, "They saw the ugliness of violence is a solution, and it frightened them," he explained, "It frightened me too when I decided to cross that line and do what you do," he added in admittance, "It's so easy…" he noted, "Anger, vengeance…" he listed off, clenching his fist before thrusting it out at Manchester… only to stop mere inches from his flinching face. He peeked his eyes open to see the Kryptonian pull his fist back, putting him down. "But luckily, I'm not you," he affirmed, "And I never will be," he vowed, letting the Elite leader go as he fell onto his bottom. He crawled back in fright.

"You killed my team!" he pointed out, standing back up, "Look at this place!" he added, gesturing to the destruction around them.

"Chester… I thought you were supposed to be the sharp one," Superman remarked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Guess he needs his eyes checked," another voice added, belonging to XLR8 as he zipped over, letting his visor come up. The Kryptonian looked over at him with a smile.

"Glad you stuck around to help," he said, "Though, I think they would've fine on their own," he admitted, glancing back to see several robots with his emblem floating down with saved civilians in their arms including the likes of Gwen and Max.

"Okay, I'm so confused…" the former of the two admitted, shaking her head. More of Superman's robots were in the area, having protected people from the debris. Manchester was stunned as he looked around to see everyone that had survived the chaos, including Lois.

"Hell of a performance…" she remarked with her hands at her hips.

"To be fair, I had some help," the Man of Steel admitted, getting the Elite leader's attention, "Your sister to start," he recalled, "Her files were very thorough," he pointed out, "especially regarding the idiosyncrasies of your brain," he mentioned, "But I knew they wouldn't be enough," he confessed on, "You're right about me," he continued, "I would never put civilians in harm's way," he affirmed, "I won't kill," he stated, knowing that his robots had retrieved Menagerie, Hat, and Coldcast, "But you would," he noted, "So I made sure I had backup," he finished.

"Me included," XLR8 added, remembering how he sped in to rescue dozens of people before they could be crushed by the debris, "As for your friends…" he kept going, glancing over to Superman.

"They're fine," he confirmed, "Nursing headaches I don't even wanna think about," he mentioned, knowing that the trio was at the Fortress of Solitude, placed in the crystalline vats, "They're very much alive as they're stripped of their powers and transported to a supermax prison," he told Manchester, "That's why I had to let you knock me around for so long," he mentioned, "I didn't have a nifty teleporter," he admitted, glancing up at Bunny as she loomed above the city.

"Bunny, you rotten clot!" Manchester shouted, "Get me outta here—!"

"But I do now," Superman confirmed with a grin as the robots approached, while some were flying up to meet the bacterial colony above, "You'd be surprised how fast Bunny agreed to help me when one of the Super-Bots promised to return her to her home dimension," he mentioned as his platoon was scanning the entity floating above the city. Manchester clenched his fists, glaring at the Kryptonian.

"You… You think that's it?!" he questioned fiercely, "It's not over, you poncy twit!" he proclaimed, "If you think I'll just go to jail and rot…" he continued, "you're livin' in a dream world!" he bellowed.

"Good," Superman responded, nodding his head, "Dreams save us," he said, "Dreams lift us up and transform us into something better," he added, "And on my soul," he kept going, "I swear that until my dream… of a world where dignity, honor and justice are the reality we all share," he listed off, "I'll never stop fighting," he declared, "Ever," he mentioned firmly. The crowd cheered with delight.

"So all of this…" Gwen began as XLR8 zipped over to her and Max, "was just a ploy?" she inquired.

"Pretty much," the Kineceleran answered, "Supe said he didn't need my help thanks to his bots, but I couldn't just sit back and watch," he pointed out.

"So you prioritized saving lives first," his grandfather realized, letting off a grin.

"If I got involved in the whole fight, I'd probably be a goner," XLR8 admitted, seeing Manchester get carried away up into by a pair of Super-Bots. He then zipped over to the Kryptonian, who just met up with Lois. "Need me to help with clean-up?" he inquired of him.

"No, that's alright," he assured in response, "Thank you, really," he added gratefully to the Kineceleran, putting his left hand onto his shoulder, "You're a fine hero for sure," he affirmed, making the speedy alien grin widely. At that moment though, the Omnitrix symbol started beeping as it blinked red.

"Uh oh," he uttered in realization.

"What even is that?" Lois asked curiously, "Some kind of signal for trouble?" she presumed.

"Uh… yeah!" XLR8 responded nervously, "From my team, the uh… Omni… Force!" he stuttered out, causing the Daily Planet reporter to arch an eyebrow, "Okay, gotta run!" he exclaimed, dashing off instantaneously through an alleyway.

"Huh…" Lois sighed, "And there goes another interview…" she grumbled. Superman chuckled. "What?" his girlfriend said.

"I just get the feeling I might have another story before you do…" he admitted in response.

X

"Of all the things you could've gotten as a souvenir…" Gwen muttered upon seeing the Superman plush toy in her cousin's box, labeled 'SUMMER VACATION 2.0' in black permanent marker, on the coffee table.

"Hey, it's not like I could snag a piece of Superman's cape," Ben retorted, "Besides, it's a reminder of what I need to fight for as a hero," he mentioned, closing the box.

"All set to go, kiddos?" Max inquired of his grandchildren, getting their attentions.

"Yeah, I think we're—" A knock at the Rust Bucket's door interrupted the Omnitrix bearer's response. He blinked in surprise, heading over to open it. He lightly gasped to see Superman there, dressed in a new costume without any damages.

"Leaving so soon?" he remarked in inquiry, making Ben chuckle.

"Hey, Superman," he greeted, "Man, I can't believe I'm talking with you like you're just another friend…" he admitted sheepishly with a shake of his head.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," the Kryptonian confirmed in reply, "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Uh, fine, I guess," Ben replied, glancing off to the side for a moment, "I think at some point, I thought the Elite were right…" he admitted as he looked down with shame, "And when I saw that guy kill Atomic Skull…" he continued, "I was more confused than anything…" he confessed, "But now I know exactly the kind of hero I want to be," he affirmed with a smile, "One who helps people and doesn't let bad guys get away with everything," he proclaimed on, showing off the Omnitrix. Superman grinned.

"Well, then I'm looking forward to working with you and the 'Omni Force' again someday…" he said, floating up and flying off. Ben smiled.

"Omni Force?" Gwen repeated, "That's the best you could come up with?" she inquired of her cousin, who shut the door. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"You alright, Ben?" Max asked, surprised by how quiet his grandson was being.

"Yeah," he answered, "Let's get back to our summer vacation!" he declared with a pump of his left fist. And with that, the Rust Bucket drove off out of Metropolis, while Superman watched from afar as he smiled. He then flew off into the distance, ready to face any new challenge that would come his way… And he knew that Ben was ready, too.

And so, Ben's story of origin ends here with his ideals as a hero reaffirmed. And perhaps he's learned a thing or two about teamwork in the process… Regardless, we know those ideals will be tested in the future between him and the Man of Steel.

But that's another story. As to how ours will continue… Let's just say we'll be meeting some very interesting creatures soon…

Until next time, this is Xiaomei, signing out.

ENDING

Insert "Kitakaze" by SIX LOUNGE

We open with a ten-year-old Ben running about excitedly with the Omnitrix on his person. Ever since he got the device, his life has changed completely, no longer becoming the boring experience he had to deal with. But as his summer vacation goes on, he has to end up confronting things that pose a greater challenge to him, such as the trio of bounty hunters, Zombozo, and especially Vilgax.

He trips and falls down, quickly trying to push himself up. A hand reaches out to him, much to his surprise as he looks up to see none other than Ash there with Pikachu on his shoulder, smiling at him. He smiles back, allowing the Pokémon Trainer to take his hand and lift him back up.

We flash through events in which Ben meets each of his friends throughout the multiverse: Ash showing him how a Poké Ball works, him and Naruto exchanging a fist bump, watching Gingka Hagane in a beyblade battle against Kyoya Tategami, sharing a grin with Rex Salazar as they face off against the Alpha together, working with Rook and Hinata Hyuga as they fight off alien criminals together in Undertown, providing Natsu with fire as Heatblast, while others watch on exasperatedly, and hugging Rainbow as she snuggles up against his chest.

Ben's also had his tough moments in life. He recalls when the Omnitrix's self-destruct had activated, he thought that he was going to doom the universe, especially as his cousin seemingly died in their effort to get it fixed. He remembers struggling to stop Pain with Hinata, thinking that she had died because he wasn't strong enough to protect her. We see that he gets testy over things like trust and honesty, much like during his time with the Teen Titans when Robin was posing as Red X and obsessing over finding Slade.

Ben stumbles again, only to be caught by Sunset, who helps him stand up as she smiles at him. He laughs a little, joining her as they continue their battles throughout the multiverse. Even with difficult ordeals in their path, like their war against the World Government, their battle against Salem and her Grimm, fighting against the Justice League and then Apokolips, all while death and despair lied in their wake.

But even so, they've persevered to the point where Ben stands before the Omni Force today, proud of how far he's come. He looks back to the horizon, wondering what else is in store for him and his friends.

END ENDING

That was a lot of fun. Initially, the plan for this story was to have Ben join Superman around the world on his exploits with the Elite. But after mulling it over, it would've been difficult to bring Ben into the story without him potentially getting himself killed. Hence, I decided to limit things to him fighting Atomic Skull alongside Superman, along with helping out during his battle with the Elite in Metropolis.

This story for Ben's character was mainly meant for him to start maturing. Obviously, that change doesn't happen overnight, but it's definitely a catalyst for his future. Anyways, that's all there is for this opening chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it!