He had been discharged thirteen days after the battle. And of course, Ben couldn't simply rest like the doctor had told him to. Almost everyone had protested against Ben making much effort for at least three weeks, at the same time his mother urged him to come back home, even saying that it wouldn't be a bother if Hope and Benjamin stayed with them.
To be frank, Ben thought Sandra was curious about Benjamin, about who the man really was. Not in identity, but in essence. And he couldn't really judge her for having such desires because, after all, who wouldn't wanna see what your son could have turned like? Ben wasn't too sure Grandpa had told his parents about Benjamin's true reason for being here on this Earth, and if they didn't, Ben sure wouldn't want him to bring the bearer of the news. But it wasn't like he didn't already have things to do. Because he did.
First on the list was talking to the Way Bad that had helped them. She had been 'held' just outside the city. Not that the Plumbers could hold her without her consent and approval, but Ben would not be surprised if by any chance Null Void projectors were lying around. The other Way Bads had been sent to the Null Void, much in thanks to Gwendolyn, where they would hopefully remain forever. But knowing his luck...
Anyway. After parking on the side of the road, Ben walked forward, examining the space that had been created for whom the Plumbers had dubbed #WB0001. Ben wasn't too impressed by the categorization. There were some Plumbers nearby, and Ben vaguely noticed Jerry from the Inhuman Resources walking around the barrack that had been erected.
Ben stopped near the massive To'kustar and coughed loudly. It drew the attention of the massive purple and grey being. Her crimson eyes looked at him with curiosity, and she leaned forward slowly. Ben was still amazed by how massive she was. He had faced very few To'kustars until the Incursean War. Azmuth had been one, transformed by accident, and for once Ben wasn't really proud of the destruction he caused. Still, it led to Undertown's existence.
Another, although after the Incurseans had been Mad Ben, which he and Ben 23 had defeated, his younger counterpart used Nanomech of all aliens to defeat a To'kustar.
But the Way Bads were different. Seeing monstrous versions of a transformation had been at the same time interesting and terrifying. Wildmutt and Ghostfreak came to mind. But these mutated To'kustars were, for the most part, abominations. But not this one. Perhaps for motives Ben was either too innocent or naive to realize, this one had been... well, had she been created by Psychobos? He wasn't too sure. But if she was, what reason would the mad scientist have to create a To'kustar with such revealing features and clothing?
It gave him a light shudder.
"Ben? Is that you?" The way her voice reverberated was astounding. Ben almost stepped back but chose to stand his ground to not confuse her, though it was hard not to frown. The last thing he wanted was to irritate her.
"Yeah..." He found himself once more confused, unsure of what to call her. "It's me. How have you been?"
"They treat me well." Her cognitive skills had improved, but her speech wasn't too sophisticated. "I learned about many things."
"That's great!" Ben exclaimed, genuinely happy for her. "I heard you were thinking of leaving."
"Yes." She confirmed. "I am simply afraid... that others might not accept me so easily."
Ben didn't know much about To'kustars apart from what the Plumbers' file had to say. And they seemed like a philosophical species. I mean, living inside cosmic storms? It seemed nuts. Ben never met a sapient To'kustar before that wasn't transformations from the Omnitrix until this one, so there wasn't much he could do to help apart from what he was already doing.
"I think you will be fine." Ben told her. "But you will always have a place here on Earth. Even if it is a big place." He tried to banter with the massive being and was heavily satisfied when her lips curled up.
"You amuse me, Ben." She declared. "I cannot see you as an enemy again."
"Awesome, neither can I..." Once more he trailed off when realizing her lack of name. "Hey, why don't we think of a name for you?"
"A name." The Way Bad echoed. "Yes. I would like to be something."
Once again, he was amazed by her bluntness. "Sure. Do you have any idea of what your species names people?"
"I believe we do not name each other, Ben." She said, frowning. Her pure crimson eyes seemed in deep thought. "At least that is what I have been told. Though our nature seems cryptic."
"Well, especially if you stay here on Earth, we might have to break that tradition," Ben stated, much more amazed that the Way Bad had learned what cryptic meant. "Alright, let's think..."
"Cordella seems fitting." A voice startled the hell out of him until he settled down when he noticed he was facing the familiar purple eyes that sent butterflies flying around his stomach.
"Where did you come from?" Ben asked Hope, heartrate not subduing from the scare, but now for different reasons.
"I teleported." She stated like how someone would do if they said they drank water. Hope looked up to the Way Bad. "Hello."
"Hi. Who are you?" The Way Bad asked.
"My name is Charmcaster." It made sense as to why she wouldn't say her name to a random creature, even if that creature was still sapient. After all, it was very confused, and barely learned customs, much less human customs. "I am a friend of Ben."
"Good." The Way Bad nodded. "What are you doing here?"
"I could help you with a name." Hope suggested. "You look like you could be called Cordella. What do you think of that name?"
"Cordella." She uttered like it was a foreign word, which, well, to be fair, it was. But she seemed to enjoy it. "It seems good."
"Then it's decided!" Hope enthusiastically proclaimed. "From now on, Cordella you are."
"Yes." The newly-christened Cordella agreed, and she was smiling. For now, her words and thoughts were simple, but she already showed a lot of emotion and even intelligence.
"We will leave you now, Cordella," Ben said, glancing subtly at his companion. "We will see each other soon, I reckon."
"Goodbye, Ben. Goodbye, Charmcaster." Cordella said to both of them, before they began walking towards the road Ben had parked.
"What's wrong?" Ben asked, imagining the worst if Hope had to come to him personally.
"What do you mean what's wrong? Nothing's wrong, Benny." The witch stretched her arms, looking back to Cordella. "She is so hot."
Ben blushed furiously; not quite sure he heard Hope right. "Excuse me?!"
"I mean, have you seen her outfit?!" Hope inquired with a smile. "If I wore one of those it would be scandalous."
"No. I never... quite noticed." He was still trying to un-fluster himself. It didn't happen when he did in fact imagine Hope in Cordella's clothing. "I mean, Hope, really? I was fighting for my life most of the time! I never notice what my enemies are wearing!"
"Alright. But surely you took notice now?" Hope teased him further, leaning closer.
"Only to the extent I know what you're talking about. Not because I-" He stopped, sighing heavily as he opened his mom's car door. "She is one hundred and twenty feet tall!"
"I still love the look." Hope pouted. "I should renew my wardrobe now that I'm frequenting Earth."
"Yeah. You'd probably look stunning in a goth collar." Ben answered with a smirk as he ignited the car and began driving, much to his own embarrassment, but was heavily satisfied to see he got one over Hope, whose smile vanished, replaced by an almost invisible blush.
"Thank you," Hope said briefly, staring weirdly at him. She attempted to change the subject. "If Cordella seeks to stay on Earth, how is this going to work? There is barely any space for a being like her."
"Hm..." Ben fidgeted the wheel, thinking. Then, an idea sprang up in his head. "I think I might just have a solution."
...
They got to one of the Plumber's outpost Leander was being held twenty minutes later. At the door, both Lucy and Swift had been waiting for them.
"Hi, Ben!" His cousin greeted, smiling widely. Swift was more restrained, but still nodded amicably. Ben returned the nod. "Hi, Charmcaster."
"Hello," Hope answered, waving her hand. She had told Ben she and Lucy had met in the hospital, and the blonde had been nothing but friendly, to her complete shock.
"Where is he?" Ben inquired, looking over to Swift.
"Inside." The aerophibian answered. They followed her and Lucy into the facility. "He's been quiet, as always. But..." She paused. "I fear his situation might be a bit more complicated."
"Why's that? Is the mind control stronger in him somehow?"
Swift grimaced. "I believe it goes beyond what you could consider control, Tennyson."
The four followed a hallway, stopping at the third door to the left. When they entered, Ben was... surprised. He expected Leander to be held in a cell, restrained and depowered. Instead, this felt more like a hotel room. It had a bed, a table, and even an old television. The man himself was at said bed, the mask that usually covered his face standing on a bedside table. Without it, Leander looked like a perfect mix of human and Prypriatosian B. He had hair that was somehow well-cut, and his jawline was very sharp. Ben had the impression if the man wasn't all radioactive and bright orange, he would be blonde.
As soon as Leander set his eyes on them, he took the mask and put it back on. Knowing the species Leander was, it made sense. Ben was careful to use NRG outside the armor because of how radioactive Prypriatosians B were.
There was an awkward silence, the Rooter deciding not to speak. Ben took the opportunity to transform into Brainstorm. Ben opened his cranium and shot lightning at Leander, careful not to hurt him... too much. The man groaned, but it was over as quickly as it began.
"Leander?" Swift called; her voice quiet.
"Yes, Swift?" With a start, Ben realized this was the first time he had heard Leander speak. "What did you think would happen?"
"I warned Ben." The aerophibian told her fellow Rooter. "I know you don't feel guilty."
"It's all we had," Leander argued. "What am I to feel guilty about?"
Swift glared, her crimson eyes flashing. "The experiments. Hunting children. Trying to sabotage the Plumbers."
"All of that doesn't matter now, no matter what I think. What would you have me do?"
"Join us." It was Lucy who answered. "For real this time. You have a chance for redemption, be someone better!"
Ben felt like Leander was glaring. "No strings attached? Seems unlikely."
"Everyone's paid too if I must remind you of that," Ben said, rolling his eyes. "You don't need to be an outcast. Nobody is going to judge you, especially the other Plumber helpers. They all had their experiences. You can live free of the shackles. If anyone should have a grudge, it would be me, and I sure don't. There's no need to go back to the wrong side of history over this."
Leander stared at him for a few seconds, probably contemplating his words. At last, he spoke. "I shall think about it. I won't make such a decision in a single afternoon."
Ben shrugged. "Fair enough." He looked at Lucy and Swift. "Don't keep him restrained or anything, not that he is, but-"
"Yes, I know," Swift answered, looking over to Leander with a weird stare. Ben took the opportunity to leave after he briefly hugged Lucy, turning now to Hope as they walked back to the car.
"What do want for dinner? We promised to bring tacos to Benjamin, as you remember."
"Risotto," Hope said without hesitation. "Don't tell me you're ordering chili fries again."
Ben grinned at the witch.
...
"I just don't get it, you know?" Ben, exasperated, told Rook through a video call. His partner had been absent for almost four months now, still assigned to a mission on Petropia. "We know a failsafe exists. I know it's not just dumb luck that made me survive."
"Indeed, Ben, it is not simply good fortune," Rook answered in his usual formal tone. "Perhaps the Omnitrix was malfunctioning? Could Servantis have had any devices that tampered with your watch?"
Ben shrugged. "Eh. I dunno. I'm just pissed I spent two weeks in a hospital."
"It was for the improvement of your condition." Rook pointed. "It is not every day that you are wounded with a bomb to the face. Maybe it judged that it was not a dangerous enough situation, since you were already transformed into your Petrosapien transformation."
"I guess, but..." He sighed and decided it was better to change the subject. "How's things over there? Is everything going smooth?"
"I would not go as far as to say things are... smooth." Ben knew Rook was aware of what smooth meant in this context. It had been enough time for the Revonnahgander to fully grasp everything Ben said to him. "But it is under our control. Though... I have not been able to find your friend, Tetrax."
Ben's heart soured a little from that. It had been years since he had seen the Petrosapien that made him realize the error of his ways when he was a mere boy and persisted in doing so for a long time to come. But the last time Ben had seen Tetrax had been after Petropia had been rebuilt.
And he didn't count the alternative version on Dimension 23.
Could VIlgax have done something to Tetrax when the Petrosapien had encountered him as he promised to? It seemed unlikely because Ben imagined his archrival wouldn't shut up about it if that was the case. It all seemed confusing.
"It's fine. I'll probably go searching for him eventu-" His Omnitrix beeped twice, indicating someone sent a message through the watch's comms channel. "Rook, I think I have to deal with something, do you mind if we talk later?"
"It's probably best if we contact each other tomorrow, Ben. I willbe busy all night on patrol." Rook told him. Ben nodded to that.
"Alright, man. Take care!"
"You too, Ben." And then he disconnected the call. Exiting the room in the hotel apartment they were all still at, Ben grabbed his jacket and made a run for the door.
"Where are you heading in such a rush?" Hope asked from the couch, her hair loose and her magenta robes nowhere in sight. Benjamin was eating at the table, watching TV, barely sparing Ben a glance.
"That thing I told you earlier. I think Azmuth's meeting us." That sparked Hope's curiosity, and the woman got up from the couch, grabbing her robes before she walked to the door.
"I wanna see it for myself. Shall we?" She signaled towards the door. Ben smiled and opened it, making their way downstairs. When exiting the hotel – gazes from bypassers locked on them, much to his discomfort – they got to his mom's car. It was a good thing she was working from home, even if his parents didn't need working at all, with all the money he got from the commercials, Plumber wage, and even just plain old donations. Ben wasn't as wealthy as 23, but he didn't need to be. Even before the Omnitrix, they lived an above-average life, and now, it was anything but average.
It took them thirty minutes to get to where Cordella was being kept. The To'kustar could be seen from almost a mile away, but she seemed to be resting if not outright sleeping. As such, when they arrived, Ben made sure to not close the car door too abruptly, and neither did Hope. Ben was satisfied to see the sight of a Galvan ship not far from the Plumber barrack.
The doors to the ship opened, and a ramp slid down until it touched the grass softly. Ben fully expected to see the small form of Azmuth walking from the small vessel. So, imagine his surprise when instead a very human-looking blonde girl with short hair and green eyes practically ran from the ship and lunged at him.
"Ben!" Eunice hugged him tightly, turning to face him. Her hair was shorter than the last time he had seen her. Her eyes remained the same striking green as before, and she wore same the white and black clothing. "How are you?! It's been so long!"
"Hey, Eunice!" This wasn't a reunion Ben had expected but was still happy for it to occur. Things with Eunice had been... strange, at first. In the middle of a break in the relationship with Julie, he and her had almost made out in that forest before Sunder attacked them. Considering what Ben found out, that Eunice had Gwen's DNA and was by accounts related to him... well, he could start seeing her as family, even if a distant one. "I'm doing good, how about you? How's work on Primus?"
Eunice beamed. "It's fun. Azmuth is a reasonable boss. And you know how much I love studying other species." The blonde girl turned, noticing someone else looking at her. "I don't think we met."
"No, we have not." Ben was shocked to see that Hope was glaring at Eunice. What was that for? Perhaps she saw Gwen's eyes? It wouldn't make sense, since it was also Ben's irises. "I am Charmcaster, ruler of Legerdomain. You are...?" While she never darted her eyes away from Eunice, it almost seemed like she was also questioning Ben.
"I'm Eunice. Or the Unitrix. I am Azmuth's field researcher." Eunice greeted, the smile on her face shrinking just slightly as she was faced with Hope's cold stare. "So, Ben, I have something to show you." Eunice walked to the ship, and both Ben and Hope followed her. Inside, there was a bag that the blonde was scrambling for something inside of it. Then, she finally withdrew something that looked just like..."
"No way." Ben mused, dumbfounded. "How did I convince him so much?"
"You're you. His claims of finding you immature and obnoxious and more of a self-projection than anything. But don't tell him I've said that." She winked, and Ben chuckled. Hope wasn't so amused.
"What is that?" The witch asked. Eunice's grin once more faded, replaced with some embarrassment.
"This is a Unitrix, much like I am. But unlike me, it is not made to absorb abilities like a Mecamorph would do, but instead, it operates much like an Omnitrix, only that it only has a human transformation, and the way the transformation operates is quite different."
"What do you mean?" Ben found himself asking. "How different?"
"You could say that it's like you're actually turning human if you were, say, a To'kustar." Eunice's green eyes twinkled. "You can live normally, switch clothes, and it can only be operated through voice or thought. No symbol in the chest or arm."
"So, wait, these Unitrices... they have master control but I'm not allowed to have it?"
Eunice only rolled her eyes. "Master control isn't just switching quickly between transformations, Ben, something you can already do, by the way. And they can't do anything but switch to human form. It doesn't have any of the features from the Omnitrix and its database is also separate, not being able to scan new forms. And for the record, Ben, Azmuth is contemplating giving you master control. But again, you didn't hear that from me!"
Eunice's words made him feel a little bit better. "Alright, shall we show it to Cordella?"
"Is that her name?" Eunice mused, puzzled.
"Yeah, Charmcaster chose it." It was quite difficult for Ben to remind himself not to call Hope by her name, but he was doing well enough. Hope's mood still seemed very sour, but at least she bothered to say something.
"I thought it suited her." When they exited the ship, they looked up, to Cordella's crimson stare right at them. "You're awake."
"I am." The To'kustar yawned. "I keep having weird dreams. There are screams, humans running..."
Ben glanced nervously at the two women. Hope also seemed to be a bit on edge about Cordella's alleged dreams, while realization immediately dawned on Eunice's eyes. Azmuth probably told all about the Incurseans to her.
"Those sounds like nightmares, Cordella." Ben pointed. Undoubtedly the To'kustar was having dreams about terrorizing humans against her will.
"I have been told. But I am not scared of them. It is like I am a spectator in them. They do not feel like memories."
"That's... great." Ben could only imagine what reliving the Incursean War would be to him, even if only in his dreams. "Here, Cordella, we brought you a gift."
The To'kustar frowned. "That human?"
"No!" Ben exclaimed, trying his best not to burst out laughing at her assumption. "This is Eunice, she's the one bringing you a very nice gift."
"Hey, Cordella." Eunice talked loudly, trying to make sure the To'kustar heard her. "I have something that will make living on Earth much easier. Could you extend your hand?"
"Yes..." While Cordella obliged, her crimson eyes seemed full of suspicion. Ben tensed a bit, and he could see in the corner of his eye that Hope did too. Eunice placed the Unitrix on top of Cordella's massive index finger. Immediately, the device grew to fit the To'kustar's arm. It enveloped her wrist much like the Omnitrix prototype did when Ben first got it. And like Ben, Cordella seemed startled, though she only gasped instead of spinning a few times, falling to his butt, and running around calling for Grandpa Max.
"Now, I need you to think about turning into a human. Try to picture yourself like us. Could you do that?" Eunice instructed, her voice soft, trying to relax the To'kustar. Eunice was too good at dealing with other species, Ben noticed. Especially because no one wanted an angry To'kustar of all things to be running around causing mayhem.
Cordella nodded. "I will tr-" Her words were cut off by a green flash that blinded Ben momentarily. When he opened his eyes again, instead of the massive To'kustar that had stood there just moments before, there was someone else entirely. A very pale girl with black hair stood a few meters away. She wore the goth outfit Cordella had sported; the revealing parts included. Ben almost felt like Hope was once again glaring at him again, but his attention was focused on the girl, and not because of the goth look!
The girl opened up her eyelids, revealing crimson eyes that seemed to stare into Ben's soul. It looked confused, like a newborn after it opened its eyes for the first time.
"Everything looks... small..." Cordella blinked a few more times, setting her eyes on him. "Ben. What is this?"
"This, Cordella, is the gift I told you about," Eunice explained, taking the lead. "You can now change at a whim whether you'd like to be human or your original form. However, I would recommend not being a human 24/7. That device you're using is a prototype, so it can malfunction. But feel free to use it as you wish." The blonde smiled widely at Cordella, who seemed motivated by the researcher's words.
"This seems... so weird..." The goth-looking girl examined her hands. "My thoughts feel clearer. Why is that?"
"Maybe being human is simpler?" Ben suggested. Eunice turned to face him.
"Partially. The human brain is not as ingenious as Galvans or Cerebrocrustaceans but it is most apt to operate in stressful situations and social environments. While a To'kustar... well, some barely have semblants of communication. They are a very cryptic species, after all."
Cordella nodded again. "Yes. That seems... that makes sense. But... where do I go? I... I feel so weird... fragile."
"The Alien Force can take her." Hope suggested, still glancing over to Ben. "Lucy wouldn't ever deny someone in need, especially someone so powerful."
"Sounds good." Ben turned to the red-eyed girl. "So, Cordella, would you like to have a home?"
The mere prospect of it made the former To'kustar's eyes twinkle. "Yes, Ben. A home seems important to humans. And if I am to be one of you, at least partially..."
"Don't worry. I know just the people." Ben smiled, trying to comfort the confused To'kustar. And he was happy to see that Cordella grinned back, reassured.
What he failed to realize was the way Hope was fuming at him, despite her best efforts to appear indifferent to the situation.
Yes, these two are completely silly goobers who don't realize they fancy one another. And the irony of Hope being jealous about Ben looking at the Way Bad in human form but not in her normal form is not lost on me. Safe to say it's not long until they realize.