Ben X Chapter 38

Across the Omniverse Arc

Ben 23 and Gwen 10

Ben floated in the darkness. He did not know how long he stayed there: Minutes? Hours? Days? In the empty black void there was no way to tell the passage of time. And despite all its miraculous powers, the 'watch' he wore unfortunately could not tell time. Despite that, the glow of the omnitrix did provide him with light in the otherwise inky black void. The only source of light, for which he was grateful. Otherwise he was sure the perpetual blackness would have driven him insane by now. Left alone in the darkness, Ben had only time to contemplate his failures. The many failures which had brought him here. He reflected on the many years that had passed and every choice he had made, starting with that fateful day aboard the Tragulon, but also going back to when he first acquired the Omnitrix. He had spent the last three years of his life training to use the Omnitrix to its full potential, to become the best hero he could. And yet, when it came down to it, he failed again. He failed to stop Eon. So where did that leave him?

Ben hadn't realized it before, but he had never faced the problem which plagued him initially. Running off to Hazard to train had just been an excuse. He had never been completely alone there thanks to Trixie, a fact for which he was grateful. But now that he had time to think, to be alone, to examine his thoughts and feelings and past actions, he came to the conclusion that he had never really processed the trauma that came from that day. He thought he had learned how to forgive himself when he got Feedback again. But it seemed that forgiving yourself was much different when your mistake affected others. He wasn't fully sure of what to do next or how to actually move past any of this. It seemed this was another period of his life where he would have to learn how to move on, to do better. Only this time he didn't have the guidance of his Grandpa Max, or Azmuth for that matter. But thankfully, he wouldn't be alone for much longer.

"Ah, there you are Ben." Said a voice from behind him. Ben turned his head to see a swirling white portal open a small distance away from him. "I've been looking for you for ages." Professor Paradox spoke as he stepped through the portal. Ben gave a wry smile. Of course Paradox would be the one to find him here, in this space between spaces.

"Paradox," He said gratefully, and then immediately frowned. "Professor, I'm sorry, you were right." The enigmatic time walker raised an eyebrow at the statement. "I should have killed Eon when I had the chance. I realized it too late, and when I was finally about to do it, I hesitated. And because of that Eon won, he absorbed Dagon's power and now he'll be unstoppable. I'm sorry Paradox." Ben said. But he did not expect Paradox's response.

"No Ben, it is I who must apologize to you." He said. Ben looked at him perplexed. "I have been Eon's enemy for far longer than you have, and I have had multiple opportunities to end his threat. Yet like you I abstained from a sense of moral superiority until it was too late. Besides Ben, if you had gone through with it at that moment, I'm sure you saw what the outcome would be." He said cryptically. Ben looked at him again with confusion. The vision of his evil future self flashed into his mind. But how could Paradox possibly have known what he had seen?

"I can see that you are confused so allow me to explain." Paradox said placing his hand over his walking cane. "You see, Ledgerdomain is the home of magic, and since magic is a multi-dimensional force, Ledgerdomain is connected to all dimensions and timelines simultaneously. It is a realm of pure chaos, chance, and possibility. The vision you saw would have come to pass if you had killed Eon at that moment, perhaps Ledgerdomain was trying to warn you of that fact." He said. Ben gave a frustrated sigh.

"Great, another bad future I have to be scared of." He complained. "Why can't I just make my own future like everyone else does?" He crossed his arms. Paradox chuckled at the comment.

"Haha, Ben, I believe that out of all the versions of you that I've met, you do that the best." Paradox spoke.

"So, what do we do about Eon?" Ben asked turning his attention to the matter at hand.

"Unfortunately Eon is too powerful now to tackle alone. Luckily I have a plan to take him down. I've been busy scouting for recruits as it were." He stated.

"Recruits for what?" Ben asked with even more confusion.

"Recruits to help us take down Eon once and for all. A sort of army of Omnitrix users. We're going to need help if we want to beat him." Paradox said. Ben's face immediately lit up, reminded of the last group of Omnitrix wielding allies he had gathered to take down his evil counterparts.

"Are we going to see my future self? He was awesome!" Ben asked excitedly. But Paradox frowned and shook his head.

"No Ben, because of all the meddling to your timeline your future is in flux and that particular version of you no longer exists. In fact I'm not sure that you still qualify as the prime universe Ben." Paradox mentioned. Ben was somewhat surprised by that admission, but he quickly waved it off. He was never one to care much about being the 'Prime Ben'. Rather, he was more focused on their current goal.

"So who are we going to see first?" Ben asked.

"A pair of familiar faces. Now shall we?" Paradox turned, arm outstretched to the portal behind him. Ben smiled, both at the thought of familiar allies, and Paradox's uncanny ability to turn up exactly when he needed to and brighten his day. Together they walked through the portal, leaving the dark black void behind.

When Ben and Paradox emerged from the portal it was in the middle of Bellwood. Specifically in the heart of the city. Only it was not a Bellwood that was native to Ben. There were two clues that informed Ben of their location. The first was the preponderance of Mr. Gyro greek restaraunts. The second was the sheer number of billboards, ads, and posters that were plastered with his face. Or to be more precise the face of Ben 23, a face which though familiar, was a bit older than when he had last seen him, with a more pronounced jaw line and a slightly taller frame. This was of course Dimension 23. But, like its eponymous hero, Dimension 23 had seemed to change since last he had been here.

The heart of the city was lined by expensive looking stores. High fashion with even higher price tags were displayed proudly in the shop windows. Banners and signs with elegant text, golden colors, and flashing neon lights hung above the shops. The buildings themselves were designed with an art noueveau theme which was contrasted with modern sensibilities. Up and down the street Ben could see people wearing expensive clothing and jewelry like it was the most natural thing in the world. Even the cars that drove by on the street were high luxury models like Bentley, Porsche, and Aston Martins. The streets were clean, and Ben was sure if it was practical would be lined with gold and diamonds. As Paradox led the way, Ben followed behind taking in the sights of such opulence.

"This place sure seems a lot more… ritzy, than the last time I was here." Ben commented.

"Yes well Ben 23 is one of the richest versions of you in the Omniverse. And from what I understand, wealth attracts more wealth. In this dimension Bellwood is a city on par with the Beverly Hills of your world." He explained. Ben rolled his eyes. If Ben 23 was anything like him, which he was, then Ben was sure his younger alternate version had let the money get to his head. It was something he might have to chat with him about.

Paradox and Ben walked the streets until they came out of midtown and out into what he recognized as the suburbs. But unlike the suburbs in his world, this area was full of large mansions. Each of them were gated with mixtures of iron bars, concrete walls, or simply large hedges. They each sat on large plots of land which easily would have been space enough for three houses in his dimension. Like the city center, he saw expensive and luxurious cars driving the streets. The fashion of passerbys was even greater than what he had seen before. Even the few children he saw running through the neighborhood had the latest technology and high fashion brands on them. It was such a difference from his own hometown of Bellwood that it was starting to make Ben dizzy.

But at last they arrived at a truly gargantuan mansion surrounded by brick walls and even higher black iron fences. The mansion was far grander than any of the others he had seen. It was easily three stories with stately white walls on a brick foundation. Ionic columns supported a grand porch with dark cherry wood doors. An arc of window panes stood above the door through which Ben could barely make out a source of light. A long paved path ran through the estate grounds. The grounds themselves were well maintained with a garden of colorful flowers and topiary of all shapes and sizes. It was truly one of the most impressive houses Ben had ever seen. They stepped up to the front gate, a large metal contraption that pulled to one side. But currently it was closed. Paradox gestured to an intercom built into the brick wall. Unsure, Ben walked up to it and pressed the button.

"Uh, hello? Is this the home of Ben 23? I've come a long way to see him." Ben spoke into the device. There was a moment of silence before the intercom crackled to life again.

"Do you have an appointment?" The security guard asked plainly. Ben frowned.

"Uh no. But I'm a close personal friend of his. If you could just let him know I'm here?" He asked.

"Yeah right, everybody says that pal." The voice spoke again. It was then that Ben noticed the wall mounted camera begin to turn towards him. "Give me one good reason that Mr. Tennyson would want to see… uh, himself…" The security guard trailed off as Ben waved at the camera and pointed at his own Omnitrix. Inside the security room the guard was thoroughly confused. Working for Ben 23 he had seen plenty of strange aliens come through, but he had never encountered a situation like this. Sometimes he wondered if this job was worth all the mental stress it put him through. The guard decided to pick up the phone and dial the one number saved to it. It was only a few seconds before a voice picked up on the other end.

"What is it? Didn't I say I didn't want to be disturbed?" The teenage voice spoke irritably.

"Uh, apologies Mr. Tennyson, but there are some visitors here that would like to see you. They say you know them?" The guard responded.

"Well who are they?"

"Well, they uh… One of them appears to be you Mr. Tennyson." There was a long pause.

"…Send them in." The phone hung up and the guard shrugged his shoulders. He pressed a button on the console, opening the gates.

Outside both Paradox and Ben were unaware of what had transpired but they were glad to see the gate opening for them. They walked to the front doors of the spacious mansion. They entered into a grand and spacious foyer. Marble tiles laid upon the floor reflecting the light of a complex and decorative chandelier hanging above. Three hallways branched off the main floor, with the one directly in front of them sitting between a double set of stairs with meticulously hand crafted bannisters. The security guard from earlier directed them up the second floor and then soon up to the third. Ben and Paradox followed behind him silently, with Ben still marvelling at the sheer opulence of the house he was standing in. At last the security guard stopped before a door and let them inside. Ben and Paradox stepped into a large spacious room with beige carpeting. A kitchenette took up the right side of the room with large amounts of snacks and sodas laid across it. A bookshelf filled with comicbooks stood the left A large TV sat at the far end displaying a video game of some sorts. Sat on a leather couch opposite the TV was none other than Ben 23. He looked to be solely focused on the game in front of him.

"Ahem," Paradox coughed. Surprised, Ben 23 lost focus, the words 'game over' displayed in block letters across the screen. He turned to look over the couch and smiled widely.

"Dudes! Ben 10 and Paradox! It's like, so great to see you guys." He stood up to greet them. Ben smiled back at him and they embraced in a hug. As they parted Ben had noted that his alternate dimension counterpart had chnaged greatly from when he last saw him. He was taller, and resembled himself as a teenager. His fashion style had seemed to change as well. He still had the same bangs and hair style but now he wore a pristine blue baseball cap atop his head. He also wore a puffy blue vest over a short sleeve lighter blue shirt. A pair of designer black jeans extended downwards to a pair of fashionable black and white kicks. Lastly he wore two diamond stud earrings. Ben 23 turned to Paradox and shook the older man's hand.

"Man its so awesome to see you. I haven't seen you since I was like thirteen. It's been years!" He said. "How do you like the sweet pad? Pretty dope right?" He bragged gesturing to his hangout.

"Yeah man it's really awesome… but, it's also got me a bit worried. All this wealth that I'm seeing, are you still in the hero business?" Ben asked concerned. Ben 23 looked at him confused for a second.

"Yeah man of course!" He replied jovially. "Oh, wait I see. You're worried all the money and stuff has gone to my head. Nah bro don't even worry about it. Azmuth set up this whole planteary monitoring thing so I can go hero whenever I'm needed. And don't worry about the money either, I donate a lot of it to charity. I seriously don't even do much besides hero work. Most of my money comes from like investments and stuff." He assured them.

It was at that moment that an ad came on one of the many TV screens that lined the far wall. In loud volume it proclaimed the release for the latest Ben 23 movie, 'Ben against the universe 4' which would be coming to theaters. Ben glared at his counterpart who smiled sheepishly rubbing his head. Ben 23 ran over to the remote and quickly muted the offending TV.

"Ok so, I still do like some modeling and acting on the side." He admitted. "But what are you guys here for? If Paradox is here too I'm sure that means something big is going on." Ben and Paradox exchanged glances and the Omnitrix user decided to explain everything. In fact he started with everything, going all the way back to the Tragulon. Ben 23 was like a brother to him, and it felt cathartic to let this out to someone, especially someone who could understand his pain. He explained Eon, his plan, every failure that led to Eon succeeding and how he needed his help to defeat him now. By the end of the explanation Ben 23's eyes were wide with shock. He gave a low and drawn out whistle.

"Wow, dude that like majorly sucks. I'm sorry all that happened to you man." Ben 23 said sincerely.

"Thanks, but I'm getting over it. Or at least I will once we take Eon down." Ben said punching his fist into his palm. "So you in?" He asked.

"Pfft, like you even have to ask. Of course brochacho!" He responded enthusiastically. "Oh one question though. Do we know how long this might take? Cuz I do have some modeling gigs coming up."

"Ben…" he chastised himself.

"Eh, I'll just say a week." Ben 23 began texting on his phone before he gave them a thumbs up. "All ready!"

"Good then let's go shall we?" Paradox spoke and opened another portal. The trio stepped through and in another second the swirling portal disappeared behind them.

When they emerged again it was dark outside. Ben and his counterpart looked around trying to get their bearings. They seemed to be in the backyard of a two story house in the suburbs, with a large wooden fence surrounding the property. A shed sat to one side and a stone tiled patio extended from the back of the house upon which sat some lawn chairs. While Ben 23 was utterly confused to their location it seemed familiar to Ben 10.

"Hey, this is Gwen's house." He noted.

"Astute observation my friend. But it's not your Gwen technically speaking." Paradox responded.

"You don't think…" Ben 23 said hopefully.

"It's gotta be." Ben 10 said with a smile. The trio walked to the back door and Ben tried the handle, only to find that it was locked.

"Okay, how do we get in now?" Ben 23 asked. Ben 10 thought for a second before and idea came to mind.

"I wonder?" He trailed off before squatting down. He looked down at the pile of stones that sat next to the wooden staircase. His eyes trailed over them until he found a familiar oval discolored stone. He picked it up and turned it over pleased to see a key pressed into the center of the stone. He stood back up and inserted the key into the lock, opening the door.

"Woah, how'd you know that was there?" Ben 23 asked.

"I figured if this Gwen's family was anything like my Gwen's family they would hide their key in the same place." Ben 10 replied as they walked in. The inside of the house was virtually identical to that of his own Gwen's. The same couch, wallpaper, and rugs adorned the room. Some of the pictures seemed slightly different but besides that it was very familiar to Ben.

"Gwen are you home?" Ben called out.

Up on the second story in her room. Gwen Tennyson sat doing her homework. She was nearly finished and ready to go to bed when she heard a voice from downstairs. It sounded like her cousin Ben's voice and she rolled her eyes. The doofus had been pestering her all night by phone and now it seemed he had decided to bug her in person.

"For the last time Ben, I'm not using Gray Matter to help you with your math homework!" She yelled back down the stairs without moving from her seat.

"Woah! That's a great idea! How come I never thought of that?" came a second voice. This gave Gwen pause as she turned to her open door. That voice was different but also somehow strangely familiar. But, it couldn't be. Could it? Her eyes widened and she grabbed her jacket and raced down the stairs. She came face to face with a trio of familiar figures in her living room and squealed in excitement.

"Ahh! I can't believe it's really you guys!" Gwen 10 said excitedly as she embraced her two interdimensional cousins in a hug. Like Ben 23, it seemed that Gwen 10 had also grown up in however many years it had been since their last adventure. She resembled Ben's own Gwen from when they were teenagers, but she wore her hair a little shorter and in a pony tail with her bangs pulled to one side by a hair clip. She wore a blue jacket over a white shirt. A blue skirt hung from her waist over a pair of dark leggings. Unlike the Gwen he knew she wore a pair of flats instead of heels. Lastly her omnitrix glowed pink on her wrist, not disimilar to the omnitrix he had as a teen.

"Wow you guys look so different from what I remember." She said looking them up and down. "Especially you Ben 10, you look like a grown up." She poked fun at him.

"Haha well I am in my twenties so I think that qualifies. Look at you though. You're a lot like the Gwen of my dimension. Well, minus the magic powers I guess." He said.

"Magic powers? Are you saying I have magic powers in your dimension? That's so weird, in my universe my Ben is the one with magic." Gwen pondered. "He'd probably be a lot better at it too if he didn't just fly by the seat of his pants all the time." She sighed then turned to Ben 23.

"What about in your dimension?" She asked the younger Ben.

"Oh in mine she's like a pretty serious student, kinda shy and we don't hang out much, but no powers that I know about." He replied. Gwen 10 put her hand to her chin in contemplation.

"Huh, that's kind of weird…" She trailed off.

"Actually Miss Tennyson I would say that you are the exception rather than the rule. In most universes and timelines you either have no powers at all or are a master of magic. In fact this is the only universe I know of where you receive the Omnitrix instead of someone else." Paradox stepped into explain.

"Oh…" She felt slightly deflated at that.

"Not to worry though. Even in those universes where your alternate selves are without powers you still manage to be an impressive force. Why, in one universe you actually become the president." Paradox reassured her.

"Oh!" She paused as she processed that thought. "Cool!" She finally decided. "But, enough about me, I'm sure there's a reason for you all being here and I assume it's not good." She finally turned to the matter at hand.

Like before Ben 10 explained the details of their predicament to his alternate universe cousin. This time he did leave out some of the more sensitive details of what had happened. But he told her of Eon's rise to power and how he likely will try to take over more universes, conquering until all of the multiverse was under his control. They needed her help to bring him down. Gwen of course, never being one to back down from a challenge in any universe, immediately agreed to help them.

"Count me in." She said as Ben finished his explanation. "I'll probably just leave a quick note for everybody so they don't worry about where I've gone." She said scribbling on a note pad and sticking it to her fridge. "All set!" She said.

"Alright! Interdimensional Road Trip!" Ben 23 shouted gleefully.

"Well at least they're excited." Ben 10 said to Paradox.

"Indeed, now let's go gather our next compatriot shall we? From here on out our recruits will be much different, some of them may have never had experience with different dimensions, and some may be a bit more… obstinate, so I expect you all on your best behavior." Paradox explained. The trio of Omnitrix users nodded seriously but no less enthusiastically. With that Paradox opened another portal and the group stepped through one by one until they were gone.

Unbeknownst to them another portal opened up in the backyard where they had arrived. Several four legged creatures stepped out from the portal and onto the well manicured grass. They were cast in shadow and the darkness of night but their forms were no less terrifying. They seemed to sniff the air and ground around them as if searching for something. Finally after not finding whatever prey they were looking for they summoned another portal and all jumped through it, leaving none the wiser.

Trying out some stuff here guys. I don't think canon Ben would be so keen on seriously killing anybody so I'm trying to make it a bit more of a believable arc. Let me know your thoughts