Chapter 2: Controlling the Power
After the space battle in Earth's stratosphere, a mysterious capsule fell to the planet, engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, the brown-haired boy was gathering firewood to build a campfire where they could roast marshmallows and listen to some of his grandfather's stories.
The crash occurred just a few meters from Ben's location, throwing him against a tree and leaving him with a hard hit and a wound on his forehead (along with some minor scrapes). When he regained consciousness, Ben stood up and saw the massive crater created a short distance away.
It was ablaze, and the scorching heat in the air was overwhelming. The boy wiped the blood dripping from his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket and took a few steps toward the enormous crater.
"What the hell…?" he murmured fearfully as he continued moving forward, stopping just a few steps from the edge of the crater and the flames.
A mechanical sound broke the silence, and a large cloud of steam burst forth, extinguishing all the surrounding flames. The green-eyed boy was shaken by the powerful gust of air and steam. When he opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with what appeared to be a strange metallic bracelet with an unusual dial and white tubes.
Benjamin's instincts made him step back, but something stronger pulled him forward—a power he couldn't ignore. Something drew him in and completely captivated him. The bracelet that had fallen from space leapt onto his left wrist, wrapping around it entirely. What followed was an overload of energy that coursed through his body, unleashing in a thunderous explosion that shook the surrounding trees to their very roots.
…
Max was beginning to worry about his grandson. Fifteen minutes had passed since Ben went to gather firewood, and he still hadn't returned. Gwen, though calmer about the situation, remained on alert in case a search became necessary. Both abandoned their tasks inside the camper when a powerful tremor suddenly rocked the vehicle.
"An earthquake? How?" the redhead questioned, trying to stay calm and steady in her seat, though it was nearly impossible.
Realizing how difficult it was for both of them to keep their balance inside the camper and that it was too dangerous if it really was an "earthquake," Max gave his granddaughter a firm order. "Gwen! Get out, now!" the older man shouted as he secured the cabinet.
Once outside the camper, they noticed everything had settled and appeared to be back to normal. Was it really just a brief tremor lasting only a few seconds? Their first concern was Ben's safety, though Gwen, minimizing the situation due to the tremor's short duration, tried to convince her grandfather to focus on making the campfire themselves.
"He's probably out there staring at some rock or tree that his fragile attention span finds interesting. If he's smart enough, he'll come back soon. Don't worry, Grandpa."
Meanwhile, a terrified Ben was struggling to remove the object on his wrist, still feeling the power now coursing through him—something that was beginning to seduce him. Desperately, he stumbled out of the crater and tried to make his way out of the forest to reunite with his grandfather and cousin. In his frantic escape, he tripped over some rocks he had passed earlier but failed to notice in his rush. His body rolled, and the bracelet on his wrist struck the ground hard, releasing a powerful burst of green energy that enveloped his entire body.
When the green glow dissipated, a humanoid figure made of green crystal with purple rocks covering its chest and head was kneeling on the ground.
He couldn't comprehend what was happening,everything had occurred in mere minutes, so brief that he hadn't even had a second to process it. Now he was something entirely unnatural, a creature made of crystal, and every movement he made screeched like jewels grinding against each other.
As he stood up, an unparalleled power surged through him, making him feel unstoppable and invincible, a unique sensation he had never experienced before. Something in his mind guided him, like a one-of-a-kind instinct.
He quickly moved his arm across to his opposite shoulder and, with the same intensity, aimed forward. From his hand, shards of crystal from his own body were launched. Though small upon release, they expanded to a considerable size within seconds. These crystal fragments pierced through trees effortlessly. Benjamin was astonished by what he could now do… and he wanted to see what else was possible. For a moment, he forgot that this wasn't his true form.
…
Meanwhile, aboard the Chimera Hammer, Vilgax's droids grew restless as they detected the energy released by the Omnitrix on Earth. A pair of mech-servants went to inform their nearly lifeless master of the discovery, reaching a secret chamber within the imposing ship where a regeneration pod was located.
The droids stopped before the capsule-like chamber, where their leader was barely clinging to life after surviving the explosion. Without wasting any time, one of the servants reported the location of the Omnitrix and the plan to deploy troops to retrieve it.
"What… are you… waiting for? Go… after… the Omnitrix…" – his words escaped his mouth with great difficulty.
There was no further comment or even a growl from the tyrant. The automatons knew exactly what needed to be done. Moments later, three smaller ships were launched from the main vessel, carrying Xenocite parasites and combat androids used for conquest in wars. It wouldn't take more than thirty minutes for these invaders to reach the planet and recover the Omnimatrix.
…
We take a quick look at Gwen and Grandpa Max, who, outside the camper, had gathered some logs and a few stones to create an improvised campfire. The red-haired, blue-eyed girl placed a few branches in the center of the circle formed by the stones.
Max emerged from the camper carrying a bag of marshmallows and another of vanilla cookies. He glanced toward the forest and let out an exhausted sigh tinged with a slight hint of worry. He wanted to go looking for his grandson, but he knew Ben wasn't a child anymore and might need some space. Deciding to heed Gwen's advice, he stayed put.
Speaking of Gwen, she noticed the items her grandfather was carrying and couldn't resist making a cheeky comment after lighting the small fire:
"I thought you'd have us roasting squid tentacles or skewers of scorpions and grasshoppers—maybe even cockroaches. I was expecting some strange creature you'd want us to eat. You really surprised me." A light laugh escaped her red lips.
Max simply smiled and replied, "What kind of grandfather do you think I am?"
Back to Ben.
He was still testing his new abilities in the form he had transformed into, unaware that he had caused a small deforestation within a 30-meter radius. He felt magnificent, powerful, and invincible; for a moment, he forgot that this wasn't his real form and that he needed to figure out how to become human again.
While experimenting with his crystalline body, Ben created all sorts of spikes, darts, and other sharp objects, as well as the occasional shield. Everything he did seemed to come instinctively, as if he had always known how to do it—like breathing. The young boy was in awe of himself, experiencing these abilities for the first time.
His "training" came to a halt when a beeping sound started emanating from the black plate embedded in his rocky chest. The green lines in the center of the plate began alternating with a whitish red.
"What's happening now?" he asked himself, watching the previously mentioned exchange of colors.
A few seconds later, he was surrounded by a red glow accompanied by a strange sound. It was then that Benjamin Tennyson returned to normal. He looked himself over from head to toe, checking that he was back to how he was before the transformation.
"God... for a moment, I thought I'd never be myself again..." he muttered, somewhat distressed. He glanced at his left wrist, where the Omnimatrix now appeared dim and lifeless. Ben didn't know where to find answers or if there was anyone who could provide them. Rolling down his jacket sleeve to cover the device, he began his walk out of the forest to reunite with his family.
Gwen and Max sat around the campfire they had built together, roasting marshmallows while speculating about what had happened to Ben, why he was taking so long, and whether he was okay after the tremor they had felt when the Omnimatrix crashed to Earth.
"He's probably just fooling around somewhere, Grandpa. Don't worry so much about him; he's not a little kid anymore," the redhead remarked nonchalantly, downplaying her cousin's "disappearance."
"You're right, but as I told your mother, I'm responsible for both of you during this trip, so I can't help worrying about your well-being," Max replied, pausing to set aside his stick with a marshmallow on it before standing up. "We've already lost too much time. I'm going to look for Ben."
Max hadn't taken a single step when he spotted his grandson's figure emerging from the trees, walking in an exhausted manner. As Ben drew closer, Max noticed the dirt on his clothes and the scratches on his face. He stood his ground and waited for him to approach.
Seeing her grandfather's reaction, Gwen's curiosity made her turn around and look behind her. She saw her cousin getting closer to them with every step.
"Finally, he's back... I told you he'd return, Grandpa. And he's in one piece, which is good."
Ben could already imagine what was coming: the scolding for taking so long. What didn't cross his mind, however, was that he'd forgotten the firewood or the state of his current disheveled appearance. "Uh... how's it going?" he muttered clumsily, causing his family members to raise an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by his attitude.
"What happened to you, Benjamin?" Max asked, eyeing him from head to toe, noticing the dirt on his clothes, the scratches on his face, and the streak of dried blood running down his forehead. Grandpa Max looked horrified—something serious had happened, and he was determined to find out what.
Ben let out a simple, "Huh?" and started examining himself more closely. In his mind, there was nothing wrong with him, but Gwen pointed out his dirty jacket, the scratches, and the blood on his face. Startled, he touched his forehead and felt a healed wound. He quickly brushed off his clothes, trying to buy time to decide how much of the truth to share about what had just happened and his recent discovery.
It wasn't until he noticed the stern looks on both his cousin's and his grandfather's faces that he decided to come clean. After a moment of hesitation, with a trembling hand, he rolled up the left sleeve of his jacket to reveal the device resting on his wrist and part of his forearm.
In a quiet voice, Ben said, "I found this... when I went for the firewood..."
Grandpa Max's skeptical expression quickly turned into one of shock and horror. His eyes widened as he stared at the bracelet-like device on his grandson's arm, the symbol on it striking him as disturbingly familiar. His demeanor turned stern and urgent.
"Where did you find it? Tell me right now!" the older man demanded, gripping Ben's shoulders tightly. Startled, Ben told him the location. Without hesitation, Max took off running toward the spot, but not before giving his grandson a stern warning: "Don't even think about using it."
The two teenagers were left completely stunned. Benjamin didn't know how to react to what had just happened. Why the hell is this thing affecting Grandpa so much? he wondered as he sat down near the campfire.
Gwendolyn turned to look at him, noticing how worried and downcast he seemed, anxiously fidgeting with his hands. She couldn't blame him, as she found herself in a similar state. Slowly, she approached him and spoke in a tone of understanding:
"Hey, what really happened? What is that thing that made Grandpa run off like that?"
Letting go of his hands and fixing her emerald eyes on his left wrist, she exhaled a heavy sigh before saying anything.
"It's like I said… when I went to get firewood, a meteorite fell near me. Actually, it was some sort of capsule or something, and inside it was this… this kind of bracelet-watch thing," Ben explained, taking his time to continue. The redhead didn't interrupt him even once as the brunette recounted everything he had experienced.
"So the first thing you did was turn into some sort of… crystal creature?" Gwen asked, her tone filled with curiosity and amazement. Ben nodded in response.
"And how was that? I mean… Wh-What… What did it feel like? How did the transformation happen?"
"Well… I was terrified. This thing wouldn't come off my wrist, and I just wanted to get out of there and back to you guys. But I tripped and started rolling on the ground. I don't really understand what happened, but suddenly, I turned into that thing."
Gwen was utterly astonished by what she heard, yet she didn't judge him for a second. If it weren't for Grandpa's strict order not to use the Omnitrix, she might have asked Ben to show her how it worked—though the brunette didn't seem eager to try it again. While she was brimming with excitement and fascination over the discovery, it was the complete opposite for Ben. He looked like a scolded child, waiting for punishment after doing something wrong.
The redhead lightly punched his shoulder and told him not to worry, assuring him that everything would be fine and that once Grandpa came back, things would return to normal. Ben truly hoped that would be the case, but they still had no idea what to do with the device on his wrist. Would they hand it over to the authorities? Would they keep it? Or would they find a way to get rid of it along the way?
Questions with no answers for now the only thing they could do was wait for Grandpa Max to return.
And as for the latter, it only took Max about ten minutes to reach the site where the capsule with the Omnitrix had landed. He descended into the crater to examine the capsule.
"Let's see what we have here…" – Squatting down for a closer look, he noticed it was still emitting a slight warmth. – "There's nothing inside… wait. What's this…? A key?" – In his hand, he held an object resembling a key, white and green in color. Max examined it closely, unable to fully grasp its purpose. His attention shifted to another matter: why this device had been sent to Earth in the first place.
"But why send it here? At first, I refused, and he's no longer around to bear it. Something truly bad must have happened for this to end up here…"
Max closed the capsule and took it with him, hurrying to leave the area as quickly as possible. He needed to maintain a calm demeanor, even though his grandchildren were already suspicious. Perhaps there would be time for explanations later.
Back with the two Tennyson teens, they were casually chatting about mundane topics like school, friends, and classmates, trying to distract themselves from the strange alien watch and, most importantly, from their grandfather's tense behavior. However, the atmosphere abruptly shifted when Max entered the camper with a furrowed brow and an urgency that both cousins noticed instantly.
Silence filled the space until Ben, unable to hold back, asked:
"What's going on, Grandpa?" – His voice trembled slightly, reflecting a mix of curiosity and fear.
Max paused for a moment, closing his eyes as if trying to organize his thoughts before speaking. Finally, he exhaled deeply through his nose.
"We're leaving. I'm taking you both home, and then I'll return to work."
Both cousins were left stunned. This trip had been planned for months, and now everything was falling apart without a coherent explanation.
"What?! You can't do this!" – Gwen broke the silence firmly, crossing her arms as she stared at her grandfather with a mix of disbelief and defiance. – "You promised us this trip, Grandpa. You can't just change plans like this without explaining anything."
Max looked at her, trying to stay calm. – "This is more important than a vacation, Gwen. You wouldn't understand what's going on, and I can't risk you two being in danger."
"Danger? What are you talking about?" – Gwen pressed, her tone rising slightly. – "First, you act like that watch is the most dangerous thing in the universe, and now you're treating us like we're a burden. We deserve to know what's going on!"
Ben, still seated, looked between Gwen and his grandfather. Finally, he spoke up, though his voice lacked the conviction of his cousin's. – "You're talking like you're on some kind of secret mission or something. Grandpa, this doesn't make any sense. What is this? Some conspiracy like War of the Worlds? Or maybe something out of a Lovecraft story?"
Ben's comment immediately shifted the atmosphere. Max, who had maintained his composure until now, froze. His eyes narrowed, and his breathing seemed to stop for a moment, as if those words had awakened something he had tried to bury.
Gwen noticed her grandfather's reaction and frowned. – "Lovecraft? Why are you reacting like that? Ben was just joking…"
Ben, confused by his grandfather's sudden change in demeanor, added: – "He's just a writer of horror stories. I mean, sure, he wrote about… strange things, but it's not real."
Max interrupted with a voice deeper and more restrained than usual. – "Lovecraft didn't invent everything he wrote about."
Both cousins exchanged surprised looks. Gwen leaned slightly forward, her curiosity growing. – "What do you mean by 'he didn't invent it'? Are you saying some of his stories are… real?"
Max sighed and ran a hand over his face, as if regretting having revealed something he hadn't meant to. – "Listen, there are things in this universe that most people can't comprehend—things they shouldn't even try to understand. Lovecraft knew more than he should have, and he put it into his stories as if it were fiction. But I can't say more. Not now."
Gwen turned her gaze to Ben, this time impressed. – "How do you know about H.P. Lovecraft's stories, Ben? I never thought you'd be into that stuff."
Ben shrugged, trying to play it cool. – "It's no big deal. Dad had a couple of his books in the library. I got bored one time and started reading. I guess some of it stuck with me."
Max cut the conversation short with an urgent tone. – "Get in the RV. I'll explain more on the way, but we need to leave now."
Despite their doubts, Gwen and Ben obeyed, still processing the implications of what they had just heard. As Max started the engine, Ben murmured under his breath:
"Great. Now we're in one of those stories. All we're missing is a cult or something worse."
Max didn't respond, but his grim expression confirmed that Ben's words weren't far from the truth.
Once they were on the road, Max took a different route than the one they had used to travel from Bellwood to the forest.
"Alright, Grandpa, time for the truth." - Gwen said, prompting her grandfather to reveal what was really going on.
"This is going to take a long time, and I still don't think you're ready to hear everything." - Max replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Grandpa, stop being so mysterious and just tell us what's going on already. None of this makes any sense—you drop some big bombshell, weird things start happening, and then you refuse to say a word about it." - Ben demanded, his patience wearing thin with his grandfather's cryptic behavior.
"Alright, I'll tell you. It all began a long time ago, far from here—far from Earth and this galaxy, in the outer reaches of the universe..." Max's words were abruptly cut off as he made a sharp maneuver after the Rust Bucket was struck from behind.
Glancing at the small screen next to the steering wheel, he saw alien ships closing in on them. Max began swerving in zigzags to avoid being hit by laser blasts while shouting at his grandchildren to hold onto their seats.
"What the hell is going on?" - Gwen yelled, gripping the table to avoid being thrown to the floor.
"We're under attack" - Max informed them, quickly pressing several buttons on the console behind the wheel. The screen displayed the alien ships exchanging laser fire.
"They're after this, aren't they?" - Ben said, staring at the device on his wrist—the apparent key to the chaos surrounding them.
Max didn't reply, but the grim expression on his face confirmed Ben's suspicion. He already knew who—or what—was behind the attack, recognizing the ship designs from his past. The nearest safe location was still miles away.
One of the laser blasts struck a rear tire of the RV, causing it to skid violently to the side before coming to a sudden stop. Inside, the Tennysons felt the impact like a whiplash, but luckily, none of them were seriously hurt.
Max reacted first. Standing up quickly, his face a mix of urgency and concern, he turned to his grandchildren. Gwen was wincing in pain, holding her arm after cushioning her fall against the table. Ben, sprawled on the floor, was shakily trying to get to his feet.
"Are you alright?" - Max asked, his voice firm but edged with worry.
"Yeah… I think so." - Gwen replied, still dazed.
Without hesitation, Ben scrambled to the Rust Bucket's door, driven more by adrenaline than a clear plan. As he opened it, he froze, stunned by what he saw outside. Two alien ships were descending onto the highway with a deafening mechanical hum. From their hatches, Xenocites—slimy, erratic creatures—poured out, skittering wildly toward the RV. Accompanying them were four towering combat robots, two emerging from each ship, their cold red eyes locked on the Rust Bucket.
Ben's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to process the overwhelming sight. He had no plan, not even a clue about what to do. Behind him, Max appeared, holding a rifle equipped with advanced alien tech, his face set with grim determination.
"Get back inside, Benjamin. Let me handle this." - Max commanded with authority.
The androids activated their scanners, swiftly assessing their surroundings. One paused briefly, analyzing Max's rifle and identifying it as a high-tech weapon, but not the primary target. Then, all their sensors locked onto the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist. The energy it emitted triggered an immediate response.
Without warning, the robots raised their arms, aiming directly at young Tennyson, while the Xenocites began moving with frenzied aggression.
"Ben! Get ready to run!" - Max's thunderous voice cut through the chaos. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger of his weapon, unleashing a bright blast that tore through one of the alien creatures.
The battle had begun.
Ben felt fear and adrenaline surging through him in equal measure. Questions swirled in his mind: *How did we end up here? What are they after? How do we get out of this?* But there was no time to dwell on them. The Xenocites charged toward them like an unstoppable tide, and the energy bullets from the robots struck the Rust Bucket with crackling sparks, lighting up the night in flashes of red.
He was frozen, his green eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding before him. The Xenocites advanced in a frantic swarm, and Vilgax's robots fired relentlessly. Max, though fighting valiantly, was being overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Each shot from his rifle took down an enemy, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to hold them off for long.
"Grandpa!" - Ben shouted, unable to move. Helplessness consumed him as he watched his grandfather battle the creatures alone.
Anger and desperation built up inside him. His hands trembled as his gaze fell on the device on his wrist, its green glow almost mocking his inaction. Something inside him snapped.
"Do something! Anything!" - he yelled, slamming his fist against the watch with all his might.
The Omnitrix responded to the impact with a blinding flash. An unknown energy surrounded it, humming around Ben. He barely had time to react before a searing pain coursed through his body. His skin began to change, becoming rough like a reptile's; his arms and legs grew disproportionately, and an inhuman roar erupted from the depths of his throat.
When the light faded, Ben was no longer himself. He had transformed into a colossal creature over three meters tall, with brown scales, a powerful jaw, and a long, muscular tail. His green eyes glowed with a wild, irrational light. An extraterrestrial being resembling the fusion of a human and a prehistoric dinosaur.
Ben was no longer thinking. He didn't recognize his grandfather, the enemies, or even the place where he stood. All he felt was a primal instinct: to attack and destroy.
With a thunderous roar, the humanoid dinosaur charged at the Xenocites, crushing them under its weight. It swung its tail with tremendous force, sending the parasites and one of Vilgax's robots flying through the air. The androids' energy blasts bounced off its thick skin, only enraging it further.
"Ben! What are you doing?" - Max shouted, surprised and confused at the sight of the creature that now stood where his grandson had been. But his words didn't reach him. The extraterrestrial beast roared in response, turning to the robots with a savage gaze.
One of the androids fired a projectile directly at him, but the humanoid dinosaur caught it with one of its hands before smashing the robot with a single blow. Its unleashed strength was relentless, but its lack of control was evident.
Max could only stand on the sidelines as the creature advanced, tearing through everything in its path. Although the being Ben had transformed into was protecting the RV and destroying the enemies, its behavior was completely unpredictable.
The grandfather watched with growing concern as the creature continued its furious assault. He knew that, while it was currently annihilating their foes, this savage instinct could turn against them at any moment.
"Benjamin! Listen to me!" - shouted Grandpa Max, his voice firm yet laced with urgency as he fired at the approaching creatures. - "You have to take control. The Vaxasarians are violent beings, but they're also rational. Don't let the fury and adrenaline take over. You're stronger than that!"
The words echoed in the creature's mind. Ben, who had been fighting driven by primal instinct, halted his attack. His enormous hands, which had just crushed an android, relaxed for a moment. His chest heaved, and his yellow eyes began to shift to a bright green, focusing on Max.
Inside him, a battle far more intense than the one outside was taking place. Ben, trapped within this new form, struggled to regain control. He felt the creature's strength, its urge to destroy, but he also felt something else: a clarity that began to emerge.
"Think, Ben." - he told himself, his inner voice barely audible over the Vaxasarian's internal roar. - "This isn't you. You're you and something more. You have to control it."
Grandpa Max kept talking, aware that his grandson was fighting an internal battle. - "Remember who you are, Ben! You're a Tennyson! We never let the circumstances control us—we control the chaos!"
With a deafening roar, the Vaxasarian slammed its fists into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked over several advancing Xenocites. For a moment, it seemed as though Ben had lost the internal struggle, but when the creature raised its head again, something in its gaze had changed. The blind fury that had overtaken him was giving way to a budding determination.
"I can do this!" - growled Ben, now fully aware within the Vaxasarian's body. His voice was deep and guttural but unmistakably his own. - "I'm in charge here!"
With a roar of power and control, the Vaxasarian charged at the remaining Xenocites. This time, he wasn't attacking at random; his movements were precise and calculated. He crushed the parasites with brutal but efficient strikes, ensuring they were eliminated before they could get closer to the RV or Grandpa Max.
Vilgax's androids, detecting the change in their target's behavior, adjusted their strategy, surrounding the Vaxasarian and firing from multiple angles. But Ben was now in control. He spun, using his tail as a whip to take down two at once. His fists smashed into the other two, reducing them to scrap metal.
Max watched with amazement and pride as his grandson, now mastering this alien form, displayed unexpected dominance. Yet his concern hadn't completely faded.
When the final Xenocite was crushed under the Vaxasarian's foot, silence returned to the highway, broken only by the wind and the crackle of sparks from the destroyed robots. Ben was breathing heavily, his massive chest rising and falling as he scanned the area, making sure no enemies remained.
Finally, he turned to Grandpa Max, his green eyes glowing with a mix of pride and nervousness.
"I think... I think I did it." - he said in his guttural voice. - "But, Grandpa… what am I now?"
Max slowly approached, lowering his rifle. - "You're Benjamin Tennyson, and you just proved that no matter what you turn into, you'll always be yourself. But we still have a lot to learn about what you're carrying on your wrist."
Before Ben could respond, the Omnitrix began to emit a sharp whirring sound, and with a flash of light, he returned to his human form. Ben collapsed to his knees, exhausted but unharmed, staring at the watch on his wrist with a mixture of confusion and awe.
"This… this is bigger than I thought." - he murmured, before Max helped him to his feet.
"We'll figure it out together, Ben…" - Max replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. - "But for now, let's keep moving. This was only the beginning…"
Author's Note: I deeply apologize for the delay with Chapter 2. I had a creative block, and this is the fourth version of the chapter. I hope you enjoy it. There are three more chapters left to complete the first arc, "Origins." Hopefully, I won't take half a year this time.