The universe had an odd sense of humor.

One moment, Michael had been in his bedroom, scrolling through the internet while catching up on one of his favorite stories. The next, he was standing in a featureless void. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, waiting for something—anything—to make sense.

"Okay… This isn't normal."

The silence of the space was deafening. There was no wind, no sound, no ground—just endless white stretching out in every direction. He looked down to see his feet still firmly on… nothing. Just air. Floating.

He half-expected to wake up from a dream, but this was too real. The feeling of the emptiness pressed against him, made the hairs on his arms stand up.

"Great. So I'm either dead, dreaming, or I've been pulled into the world's weirdest sci-fi horror flick." He glanced around, trying to catch any hint of movement. "This better not be some kind of isekai nonsense."

As if in response, a voice echoed through the emptiness, sounding both bored and amused. "Oh, it's definitely not a dream. Though I could see why you'd think that."

Michael spun around, his heart skipping a beat. Before him stood a figure—humanoid but constantly shifting, flickering between forms. At first, it appeared as an ancient being cloaked in shimmering robes, then morphed into an orb of light, then a dragon, then a casual figure in a plain shirt and jeans. It finally settled on a humanoid shape, eyes glowing like stars.

"Who… What are you?" Michael asked, his voice more confused than scared.

The being smiled, a small flicker of amusement crossing its face. "Let's just say I'm a higher being. Call me a deity, if it makes you feel better. I like to think of myself as a cosmic observer—someone who moves things around the board."

Michael squinted, crossing his arms. "So… I'm a pawn on your board? Is that what you're saying?"

The deity shrugged. "Not a pawn. More like a new player in a very interesting game." They waved their hand casually. "I'm here to offer you something fun. A new world, a new power. You've read the stories, haven't you? Thought about what it'd be like to live in one of those worlds?"

Michael opened his mouth to protest but stopped. In some deep, hidden part of himself, he'd definitely imagined it. He knew how dangerous those worlds could be, though. Especially the one he knew the most about.

"Hold on. You're telling me you're going to just… drop me in a random world?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "What's the catch? Because this definitely sounds like the start of a bad deal."

The deity tilted its head, the smile still in place. "There's no catch. Just a random world, and a random power. Think of it like a game of chance." They snapped their fingers, and suddenly, a holographic wheel appeared beside them, spinning rapidly. Images of different worlds—some familiar, others completely foreign—flashed by.

"Random world," the deity repeated, pointing to the wheel. "Could be peaceful, could be dangerous. That's part of the fun."

Michael's chest tightened. He knew how these things worked. If luck was involved, things rarely went in your favor. "And what about the power? How random are we talking here?"

Another snap of the deity's fingers, and the wheel beside them shifted. Now, it showed a series of powers and abilities—some absurd, others insanely overpowered.

"You'll get one power. It could be something simple, like super strength. Or something unique. All I ask is that you embrace the randomness. Anything could happen."

Michael stared at the wheel for a moment, the overwhelming sense of unease gnawing at him. He wasn't exactly excited about the idea of being thrown into chaos with an unknown power. "Yeah, no. I'm not risking getting stuck with something useless. Let's talk about the power. Give me something good."

The deity laughed. "Fair enough. Tell you what—I'll give you a chance to roll twice. First power, you can refuse. Second one, you have to take."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "I can refuse the first?"

"Only the first," the deity replied, eyes twinkling mischievously. "I'll show you what it is. You can reject it if you like."

Michael thought for a moment. There was still something off about this whole thing, but if he was getting sent into another world, he might as well get something decent. "Alright, let's see the first one."

The deity snapped their fingers, and the wheel stopped on an image of a fish swimming in the air. Below it, the words "Underwater Breathing" appeared.

Michael stared. "You're kidding me."

"Hey, you never know," the deity said with a grin. "Could be useful."

He crossed his arms, unimpressed. "No. Definitely not. Try again."

The wheel spun once more, and Michael braced himself. The seconds ticked by before it stopped on something that made his heart skip a beat.

The Omnitrix. The iconic watch-like device from Ben 10, glowing in black and green, appeared on the hologram.

Michael's eyes widened. "Wait, you're serious?"

The deity smiled wider. "Very serious. You get the Omnitrix—alien transformations, all the forms you can think of."

"But…" Michael hesitated. "Which version?"

"The Alien Force version. You know, all the forms, some improved ones, with a good mix of power."

His heart raced as excitement replaced doubt. "Can I get… Master Control? No timeouts?"

The deity's smile softened, almost amused. "Well, since you're being sent somewhere dangerous, I suppose that can be arranged. You'll need every advantage you can get."

Michael grinned, his fear momentarily forgotten. "Alright. Deal." "Wait, did you just say I'm being sent somewhere dangerous?"

The deity snapped their fingers one final time, and the Omnitrix appeared around Michael's wrist, cool metal against his skin. It was real. It was actually real.

"Now," the deity said, stepping back. "Good luck. I think you'll need it."

"Wait a minute, you didn't answer my question, you said something about being sent somewhere dangerous"

Before Michael could ask any more questions, the white void collapsed, and everything went black.

'

'

When Michael opened his eyes, he was no longer floating in a void. The cold, hard feeling of concrete beneath his hands told him that much.

Groaning, he pushed himself up, his muscles aching from the landing. The smell of burning oil and garbage hit him like a brick, making him wince. "Where… am I?"

He looked around, his vision clearing as he took in his surroundings. The city around him looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie—buildings worn down by time, graffiti-covered walls, broken windows. A distant siren wailed, and smoke curled from several nearby rooftops.

He glanced to his left, noticing a faded sign hanging above a small, rundown shop: Brockton Bay's Finest Groceries. His stomach twisted.

This wasn't just any city. This was Brockton Bay.

Michael's heart dropped. Oh no. No, no, no.

"Of all the places…"

The Worm universe, home to some of the most terrifying villains, twisted heroes, all-out destruction, and a ticking time bomb of an apocalypse just waiting to happen. He could handle dangerous worlds, but this? This was a nightmare.

Before he could even fully process what was happening, he heard it. The distant roar of fire, followed by a thunderous explosion. He whipped around to see a plume of smoke rising in the distance. Screams echoed through the streets.

Lung. The realization hit him hard. He wasn't just in Brockton Bay—he was in the middle of one of the most dangerous parts of its timeline. Lung was rampaging, which meant that Skitter—Taylor Hebert—wasn't far behind.

Michael glanced down at the Omnitrix on his wrist. He could help. He could stop Lung, maybe keep him from leveling the entire block. But did he want to get involved?

Another explosion ripped through the air, closer this time.

"Alright, fine," Michael muttered, twisting the dial on the Omnitrix. "Guess I'm doing this."

Michael had about a thousand thoughts swirling in his head as he clicked the Omnitrix dial and cycled through the alien forms. There was that persistent knot of dread in his stomach—he knew what Lung was capable of, knew the kind of destruction the guy could dish out if you let him ramp up. The dragon-wannabe could turn a block into ashes faster than you could say "oh crap."

But there was also a tiny bit of excitement bubbling up under the fear. He couldn't deny it—he had the Omnitrix now. The thing of childhood dreams, right on his wrist, with Master Control, no less. That meant no timeout limits, no accidental turning back into a human at the worst possible moment. He was armed to the teeth with alien superpowers. Still, facing down a literal fire-breathing monster wasn't exactly how he planned to break in his new powers.

"Alright, Jet Ray it is," he muttered to himself, clicking on the familiar silhouette of the winged alien. "Gotta get there fast. No point in showing up late to my own funeral."

With a quick slap of the dial, his body shifted. Limbs stretched out, red skin stretched over aerodynamic wings, and a pair of sleek, glowing eyes replaced his own. He felt a rush of energy as his body completed the transformation into Jet Ray.

"Whoa, this feels awesome!" Michael exclaimed, barely keeping himself from zooming forward in excitement. "Okay, focus. Save the 'alien test drive' for later. First, we stop Lung from turning Skitter into extra crispy bug toast."

He spread his wings and shot into the air, soaring above the battered cityscape of Brockton Bay. The wind rushed past him, giving him that exhilarating sense of freedom that came with flying. But even as he zoomed forward, the reality of where he was started to sink in. The buildings below were trashed, streets looked abandoned except for the occasional gang of people running for cover, and the sounds of chaos echoed all around him.

"This place is worse than I thought. I always figured Brockton Bay would be a dump, but this? This is next-level apocalyptic." He shook his head as he flew. "Figures I get thrown into this world. Couldn't have been the one with the peaceful farm or the talking animals, huh?"

Then, just up ahead, he saw them. Lung, standing tall in the middle of the street, his body already half-covered in scales, heat radiating from him like a walking furnace. He looked like something out of a nightmare—a monster on the verge of turning into a full-blown dragon. And just a few feet away, Skitter was holding him off, her swarm of insects thickening around her, trying to keep Lung from closing in.

"Man, she looks even more terrifying in real life," Michael muttered as he angled his flight toward the battle. "But Lung? Dude looks like he could roast me for dinner, and I've got wings."

He knew the clock was ticking. Lung was already getting bigger, and the more he fought, the stronger he'd get. Michael remembered that much. If Lung went full dragon, there wouldn't be much left of Skitter, or anyone nearby for that matter.

As Michael closed in, he saw Lung take a deep breath, fire building in his chest, ready to unleash a blast right at Skitter. Crap, he's about to BBQ her.

No more time for jokes.

Michael narrowed his eyes, focused, and fired his neuroshock blasts—twin laser-like energy beams shot from his eyes, aimed right at Lung. The lasers cut through the air and slammed into Lung's chest, staggering him mid-attack. The fire in his throat sputtered out in a wave of steam as he stumbled backward, clutching at the singed spot on his torso.

"Direct hit!" Michael whooped. "How's that for a hot shot, big guy?"

Lung roared, shaking off the attack and glaring up at Michael. He didn't look amused.

"Okay, probably should've kept my mouth shut on that one."

Skitter, still crouched in defense mode, glanced up at him, clearly confused by the sudden arrival of a flying red alien. She didn't say anything—her swarm was still buzzing around her protectively, likely assessing whether Michael was friend or foe.

"Hey, I'm the good guy!" Michael called down to her. "At least, I think I am. Not exactly from around here."

She didn't respond, her expression hidden behind her mask, but the fact that she hadn't sicced her swarm on him yet was a good sign. Still, there wasn't time to exchange pleasantries. Lung was getting back on his feet, and if Michael didn't act fast, they'd both be toast.

Michael glanced down at the Omnitrix. "Alright, time to go big. Jet Ray's not gonna cut it in a slugfest."

He tapped the dial and shifted again, feeling his body bulk up, growing larger and heavier. Red skin gave way to thick, brown, armored scales as he transformed into Humungousaur. His feet hit the ground with a solid thud, cracks spidering out from where he landed.

"Alright, Godzilla Junior, let's see if you like playing with someone your own size," Michael growled, clenching his fists.

Lung snarled and lunged forward, swinging a fiery claw right at Michael's face. Michael ducked under the swipe and responded with a massive right hook, his fist slamming into Lung's jaw with a force that would've flattened a car.

Lung stumbled back, but the hit barely slowed him down. If anything, it seemed to just piss him off more. His body began to glow with intense heat, scales spreading rapidly as his transformation sped up. He roared, the air around him warping from the sheer heat he was radiating.

"Great. Now he's angry," Michael muttered. "Note to self: hitting the fire-breathing dragon only makes him worse."

Lung charged again, faster this time, his claws raking across Michael's chest, leaving deep gouges in Humungousaur's thick armor. Michael grunted, but kept his footing.

"Okay, that stings." He shook off the pain, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm starting to get why everyone's so scared of you."

He threw another punch, this time aiming for Lung's midsection, but Lung was ready. He sidestepped the blow and unleashed a blast of fire straight at Michael's face. Instinctively, Michael threw up his arms to block, the heat scorching his forearms.

The dragon-wannabe was getting stronger by the second—scales thickening, claws lengthening, and the fiery glow around him becoming more intense. His eyes gleamed with that all-too-familiar look of someone who was enjoying this fight a little too much.

This guy's getting worse by the minute, Michael thought grimly, watching as Lung lunged toward him. Even in Humungousaur form, the guy was a tank. "Alright, big guy, you like playing rough, huh?"

He swung a punch at Lung, landing a solid hit on his jaw that sent a shockwave through the street. But instead of going down, Lung just roared louder, the heat from his body scorching the pavement beneath his feet. Michael could feel the heat intensifying, his own thick skin starting to sear under the rising temperature.

I can't keep this up, Michael thought. The more I hit him, the more he powers up. Gotta think fast.

He took a step back, panting slightly as he watched Lung grow even larger, fire swirling around him. "Alright, think, Michael. You're up against a guy who's about to go full-on Godzilla, and if that happens, it's game over."

Lung's transformation wasn't just about brute strength—he was practically a living furnace, and he only got stronger the longer the fight dragged on. If Michael didn't stop him soon, the guy would be unstoppable. Even now, Lung's body was bulking up with every passing second, his hands now enormous claws, his eyes blazing with fury.

Michael glanced down at the Omnitrix, mind racing as he cycled through possible alien forms. "I need something clever. Something that can deal with this without giving him more time to ramp up…"

Then it hit him. Wait a second...

A smirk crossed his face as an idea formed. It was risky, probably crazy but it might just work. He glanced at the Omnitrix on his chest again.

"Yeah, this is crazy, but it just might work," Michael muttered to himself.

He hit the dial and felt his body shift again. The bulky form of Humungousaur dissolved, replaced by the steely, mechanical frame of Clockwork. His body hummed with power, gears and mechanical joints clicking into place as his mind instinctively grasped the time-warping abilities of the Chronosapien.

Lung, now towering over him, let out another roar, flames licking at the edges of his mouth. But Michael wasn't planning to let the fight get to that point.

He raised his arm, eyes glowing with green energy as he locked onto Lung. "Let's see how you like a little time travel, hothead."

With a deep breath, Michael fired a beam of swirling green energy—a time ray—straight at Lung. The beam hit him square in the chest, and for a split second, Lung froze, his body caught in the grasp of Clockwork's powers. Then, the effect took hold.

Lung's massive, dragon-like form began to shrink, his scales retracting, his claws shortening. His fiery aura flickered and faded as his body reverted, layer by layer, back to its humanoid form. Michael could see the confusion in Lung's eyes as the transformation reversed, his powers stripped away by the time-warping effect.

"Yeah, buddy, rewind time a bit," Michael muttered, a tired grin spreading across his face. "Not so tough now, huh?"

But as soon as the transformation completed, Michael felt the drain hit him hard. His body, still in Clockwork form, sagged slightly, exhaustion creeping in. Using the time ray had taken more energy than he expected, and he could feel the strain in his circuits—well, metaphorical circuits. Chronosapien or not, that was one hell of a power move.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. Alright, he's down to normal. But I don't have much time before he starts powering up again. Gotta finish this.

Without hesitation, Michael slammed the Omnitrix again, shifting out of Clockwork and into something with more firepower. As his body morphed once again, he shrunk down into a smaller form, splitting into three identical copies of himself—Echo Echo.

"Alright, boys, let's make this loud," one of the Echo Echo clones said.

All at once, they opened their mouths and let out a massive, ear-splitting sonic scream. The sound waves hit Lung from all directions, shaking the ground and reverberating through the air. Lung clutched his head, letting out a roar of pain as the sonic assault overwhelmed him.

The clones pushed harder, amplifying the sound until, with a final groan, Lung collapsed, unconscious, onto the cracked pavement.

The Echo Echoes stood around him, the noise dying down as silence filled the air. "And... that's how you do it," one of the clones said, grinning.

The Echo Echoes stood still for a moment, catching their breath as the silence returned to the street. Michael couldn't help but grin. "Man, that worked way better than I thought."

With a tap of the Omnitrix, Michael transformed into Diamondhead. His body morphed into the familiar crystal form, sharp and gleaming. Diamond plates covered him from head to toe, and he flexed his arms, feeling the comforting weight of invulnerability settle over him. "No way am I walking around as just me," he muttered. The last thing he wanted to do was to unmask himself on the day of his debut. Now as Diamondhead, Michael couldn't help but appreciate the form of one of his most beloved aliens from the franchise. "Classic choice," Michael said with a smirk, admiring his new form. "Alright, let's see how this all plays out."

He glanced around, taking in the destruction from the battle. Buildings were charred, streets were cracked, and debris littered the area. It was chaos, but it wasn't. "Now let's see, where could you be? Aha!" He thought to himself as he found who he was looking for.

Standing not far from him, partially hidden in the shadows, was Skitter. Her swarm buzzed around her, a living shield of insects, but she hadn't made any moves toward him. She'd been watching.

Michael's glowing green eyes locked onto her, and after a brief moment of sizing her up, he started walking toward her.