"And that's when you decided to run away?"
"Yes," Lucy confirmed, afraid that Max would reprimand them any further than Manny had during their entire trip. They had all tended to their wounds when arriving, especially Alan who had taken a big hit from Phil. "We didn't see any way we could beat them all."
"You should have left earlier."
They all stopped to look at the magister, quite perplexed.
"What?" Manny questioned.
"All those foes are on another level. Especially Malware and Khyber. They can give Ben a run for his money. You are all capable, we made sure of that. But we aren't putting you against a-listers for a reason."
"We beat foes before. We helped with the Highbreed." Alan argued.
"Yes. I am not diminishing what you all have done, and I am not downplaying your skills. But those villains..." Max paused. "Those are beyond what you're all capable of. I don't know how Servantis got a hold of them, or how Malware is even alive, but we have to do something."
"Find Ben," Cooper suggested, voicing what everyone probably had on their heads.
"Yes," Max confirmed. "But that much is tricky."
"Why?" Helen inquired.
"Because Ben is probably not on Earth."
"What?" Manny exclaimed.
Max grimaced. "He has been reported to have gone on a personal mission with some unidentified woman. We don't know what he is doing-"
"With all due respect, sir," Alan interrupted. "But that doesn't sound like a mission to me. Maybe he is-"
"I thought of that, Alan, thank you." The elderly man was clearly not up for small talk or jokes, taking this grim situation seriously. "But I've been told it is something important."
"More important than Earth?" Cooper asked.
"Probably not." Max thinned his lips. "But while Servantis implants deception wherever he goes, I don't doubt his words. His horror show of a roster proves what he's saying. He is keeping the world besieged until Ben shows up."
"A week," Lucy recalled. "Is that enough time?"
Max's face darkened. "We have to hope."
...
Benjamin was fucked.
Oh, no, because of course Ben Tennyson's foes had to start a manhunt for him when he wasn't on the planet. And when Benjamin was, wearing his face like a big sign that said kill me.
He had realized staying in the hotel was suicide. And calling Max was also not ideal, since it was Ben's cellphone. Wearing Jonathan's face was his best option, and he did as much, walking around Bellwood, trying to disguise himself with the masses.
But the sights of those mutated To'kustars in the distance were unnerving. Two of them were stationed in Bellwood, three more covering the rest of the US, and the others were on their way to Canada, Ireland, and Germany, places where a Tennyson had been seen recently.
Benjamin cursed his bad luck. He couldn't even call an Uber or taxi, since he didn't have any physical money with him and all transactions would have to be made through Ben's accounts. And with Malware involved, they were undoubtedly monitoring that.
He had left the cell phone in the hotel, choosing to not get tracked. But this was difficult. A drop of sweat ran across his face. The day was warm and humid, tension was in the air. The streets were getting emptier, most people preferring to bunker up in their homes.
This wasn't good news. He had seen some flying figures earlier. He knew Bellwood would be under siege, more so than any other place.
He walked further, trying as best as he could to appear calm in case somebody saw him. Soon, he reached a gas station, setting his eyes on a payphone nearby. He had some spare coins with him, thankfully, and so he tried to think of someone to call.
Calling Max could go badly.
But who else?
Dear God, he hoped these phone numbers were the same.
"Hello?" A voice said as soon as he finished to dial the number. He almost sighed in relief.
"Hi. Do I speak with Kevin Levin?"
"Yeah... who's this?"
"Someone familiar," Benjamin answered. Talking to Levin was uncomfortable enough, but having to be so cryptic was even worse.
"Oh." Kevin was silent for a few seconds. "Golden Gate?"
Benjamin had to stop to think of what that meant. "Steel?"
"Damn, it's you." A sigh of relief was heard from the other end of the line. "Where are you? I tried to reach you through the watch."
"I can't tell." Benjamin decided it was best not to confide that it was in fact not Ben. "I'm probably being followed. Can I talk to Lucky Girl?"
"Sure." There was more silence for a moment. "Ben?"
"Gwendolyn." Benjamin acknowledged.
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell." He repeated the same words he said to Kevin. "I must tell you something."
"What is it?"
Benjamin took a deep breath. "I'm not... Ben. Not yours Ben. I don't have the time to explain it. But I'm from another Earth. Ben's been looking over me, for reasons I can only explain later."
It was undoubtful that those words weren't lost on Gwen. "Okay. Where is he?"
"Away. With... I can't snitch on him. But It's someone from your past. Once an enemy. Not so much anymore. I just called to warn you about it. Lie low. He is probably returning soon."
"What about you?" The worry in her voice almost broke his composure.
"It doesn't matter," Benjamin stated. "Just don't do anything stupid."
"I wouldn't. You... you both would."
That comment almost made him chuckle. "I have to go. Stay safe, Gwendolyn."
"You too, Ben."
"Benjamin." He corrected before shutting off the call. Benjamin sighed. This was more difficult than it should have been.
He resumed his walk, trying as best as he could to keep his secrecy. But it was getting dark. While this wasn't an occupation with soldiers everywhere, Bellwood had eyes on its walls. And they would soon notice a suspicious figure walking around without much purpose.
Just then, he heard a heavy sound, like a giant step.
He chose to hurry up, almost making a run for it. His judgment was replaced by adrenaline and panic, hearing the To'kustar's footsteps getting closer. Fuck.
No stores were open anymore. There wasn't any place for him to take refuge.
And a few meters away in front of him, a red figure landed.
"Halt!" That aerophibian – Swift was her name, wasn't it? - ordered him. Seeing how fast was her species, Benjamin thought it was probably best to oblige. She brought her hand to her ear, saying something that Benjamin wasn't able to hear, and began approaching him.
He panicked. ID masks were easy to detect. If they weren't, it would be chaos. He needed something, more time, his Omnitrix... or...
Just his wits.
Benjamin took off the mask in one go, startling the aerophibian, who was shell-shocked for a second. "Before you shoot," he said. "Check my hair. My eyes. I'm not him."
The rooter managed to compose herself, approaching him further and examining him closely. Her eyes were mostly fixated on his bare left wrist.
"How?" Swift questioned.
"I am not your Ben Tennyson. I've been transported here. I don't have anything to do with your conflict."
The rooter was silent, contemplating his words. Then, he zoomed away at light speed, and not a second later, she was backing, but not alone.
Servantis was with her.
"So," The scientist said. "You... You're not who we're looking for."
"Indeed."
"You seem different." While the red-eyed hybrid's gaze was on his wrist for a second, most of his attention was on his eyes. And Benjamin suspected it wasn't because of his irises. "There is much I would like to learn about other universes. But I have a task at hand. You don't happen to know where your counterpart is, do you?"
Benjamin grimaced. Lying now, while he was an expert at it, could be dangerous. Since another excellent liar was standing in front of him. Takes one to know one, after all. But at the same time.
"I do," Benjamin stated. "And he's unreachable."
"Unreachable?" Servantis echoed.
"He is in the Realm of Magic." He told the rooter. "There's nothing that can be done to reach him. Your only hope is for him to return to Earth."
The former Proctor was now completely quiet, his crimson eyes thoughtful. "Then... We will wait." He said to Swift. "Alert the others of this development, then return."
"Yes, sir." The aerophibian promptly flew away.
"You truly seem different to this Earth's Ben Tennyson." Servantis once more said. "I wouldn't want you to be trampled by a fearful mob. I see you're in no position to defend yourself." He chuckled, once more staring at the emptiness at Benjamin's wrist. "Why not join me for a conversation? Without him available, there is not much I would have to do.. and you have piqued my curiosity."
"Do I have a choice?" Benjamin asked, crossing his arms.
"Of course," Servantis said. "Though staying here, like I said, would present you with a bigger danger than you are prepared to deal with." To further prove his point, Servantis nodded to the single horrid To'kustar watching them from above.
Sighing, Ben conceded. "Fine."
How he wanted to turn this world to ashes.
...
Ben wasn't enthusiastic to go.
Not because he didn't want to return to Earth... but because Hope wouldn't be coming with him for now.
He had been devastated by the news. Okay, devastated might be a bit too much, but he was disheartened. Her reasons were that she still had to patch up things in her home before she could return to Earth. Even then, there was no set date for that to happen.
He didn't have a bag to fill, or things to gather. He simply switched to his usual attire, sighing as he looked at the mirror.
"What is it?" Hope entered the bedroom at that moment.
"Like I said, I'm kinda gonna miss you."
The witch smiled. "As will I. But I must stay for now. To make sure my rule isn't threatened again."
Ben shifted uncomfortably. "Please don't kill anyone?"
While Hope slowly nodded, she didn't seem enthusiastic. "I will not try to execute anyone. What has got to with killing anyway? You killed in the past. Even if you weren't aware."
"In battle," Ben said. "Like with Malware. I had the chance to execute two people. Kevin, and Vilgax."
"And why didn't you?"
"With Kevin, Gwen talked sense into me. But I was inches close." He recalled with a scowl. "With Vilgax, it was a bit more complicated. I wielded Ascalon, eh, a world-shattering, reality-altering sword Azmuth made, ingrained with the power of the Dagon."
Hope widened her eyes. "You were omnipotent."
"I suppose."
"And you gave it all away?"
"I was tempted not to." Ben felt ashamed to admit that. "On top of all that I still had the Ultimatrix. But I realized the one giving me the advice to mold reality in a way I'd prefer was my archnemesis. And my friends were the ones who were telling me it wasn't a good idea."
"Fair enough." Hope approached him. "But you still could have killed Vilgax."
"Like I told you before... I'm kinda terrified of killing Vilgax specifically. Because I don't want to become-"
"I know that future version of you was a jerk. But that's it. A jerk." She argued. "He still chose to do good. Ben, I realize what you're saying. I'm not stupid. Killing should be a last resort. It's what makes you stand out, but... some people don't deserve forgiveness."
"Eh." Ben felt a sour taste in his mouth. "I had my chance. Now he's back on his planet, and the people love him ever since I took down Zs'skayr for him. Hilarious."
"Well, if he causes further trouble, remember to consider all options." The distance between them now was practically insignificant, with her body inches away from his. "Not saying you should be evil, alright?"
"I know." He shivered slightly from the proximity. "Should we go now? I don't know what cataclysmic events could be happening on Earth now with my, what, four-day absence?"
"It's more like six days." Hope finally walked a little farther away from him, making him release a breath he didn't know he was holding. "We have a few minutes ahead of us to get to the Door to Anywhere. Shall we go?"
Ben went for the Omnitrix, fully intending to change into Ghostfreak or Big Chill, but Hope held his wrist in place. "Not inside my castle, dear."
He chuckled nervously. Mostly because of the sudden contact. "Alright, then." Then, he spotted the wide-open window. I'll see you outside then. He made a run for it, and lunged through the window frame, only hearing the faint beginnings of a protest by Hope. He pressed the Omnitrix but was disappointed to find out that the alien selected did not have wings.
In fact, he was reminded of what rock tasted like when Cannonbolt crashed violently into the ground below like a meteor.
"Ow," Ben said, returning from his curled form. Above, Hope appeared, gliding down from her room.
"That was hilarious."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He pressed the Omnitrix with annoyance, changing directly from alien to alien. Azmuth had advised him to stop doing that, that it wasn't an alternative to master control, and indeed it was not, but... oh, come on, just give him something with wings!
After a green flash, Ben found himself looking at deep black and green arms.
"Not Feedback." The thick Hungarian-like accent was enough to make him sigh in relief. "This could have been worse."
"Are you a vampire?" Hope examined Whampire.
"This species is probably the reason for vampires to even be considered a thing, actually."
At that, the witch frowned. "But... vampires are real."
"Sure." Ben rolled his eyes. "So is Big Foot."
"I'd like to remind you magic and magical creatures are a thing, Ben." She summoned a weird pair of goggles, putting them over her eyes. "Race to the door."
"I don't even know where it is!" Ben protested.
Hope smiled. "Then you're welcome to forfeit and follow me." And with that, she sped up at a rate Ben was truly not expecting, and it took a lot out of Whampire to keep up. Jetray or Astrodactyl would be more suited for a race, but Ben wasn't angry or anything. It was enjoyable enough, and he had a smile on his face to the end.
But he didn't win, which was a shame.
What made him slightly annoyed was how Hope didn't even break a sweat, smiling widely, her goggles gone. "You're so slow."
"Whampire is not a speedster," Ben argued, changing back to his human form, panting heavily. "Not fair."
"Whatever, loser." Hope chuckled lightly, but her smile soon vanished. "I'm gonna miss you so much."
"You know where to find me." Ben offered a sympathetic smile. "Are you gonna be alright?"
"I think so." She answered. "Will you?"
"I'll try."
"You better." And then, she hugged him, her head resting on his shoulder. "I worry that you may put yourself into trouble."
It took Ben a moment to compose himself, his ears warming up. "If I survived until now, nothing can beat me."
She laughed at that comment, and before she let go of him, Hope kissed his cheek softly, looking at him with fond eyes. Ben was left speechless and chose to remain so, if not to embarrass himself. The witch willed the door to open, and it did as it was ordered, showing the hills and groves around Bellwood.
"Until later, hero."
"Bye." Ben forced a smile onto his face, not because he didn't want to smile, but because he wasn't sure his brain was functioning quite right now.
And just as he stepped through the portal, the door closed behind him, letting him have a last sight of those light blue eyes.