It was another normal day in CN City – well, normal in the case for the local hero, Ben 10K.
The hero in question was thrown across the rooftop, slamming into an air conditioning unit, the metal bending against his bulky form. The hero dropped to his hands and knees, wiping the trickling of blood from his broken lip. He glared up the latest villain of the week – which was actually a classic villain – Vulkanus. The Detrovite had been coming back again and again for close to thirty years now trying to settle the score for his humiliation in Townsville.
Needless to say, it rarely works out for him.
Ben stood up, glaring, and said, "I do not have time for this!"
Ben raised his arms, which were equipped with a pair of matching gauntlets. He crossed his wrists together, exploding into a flash of green light, and transformed into a completely different alien than any before. It looked like a cross between Arctiguana and a muscular alien with four arms.
Arctic Arms grabbed Vulkanus and effortlessly lifted him off the ground like he was a loaf of bread.
"There's no way I'm missing another birthday!" shouted Arctic Arms. "So I'd appreciate it if you just chill out!"
He exhaled a deep breath, smothering Vulkanus in a cloud of crystal-blue mist. The Detrovite emerged from the cloud frozen in a block of solid ice and Arctic Arms gently set him back on the ground.
With the villain defeated, Arctic Arms pressed the Omnitrix symbol on his chest, activating the comm function.
"Major Steel, I got another one for the Null Void at my location," he said,
"Sending a unit to your position," Major Steel replied. "Should we expect to meet you there?"
"No, I've got something more important to do," said Arctic Arms.
He cut the signal before Major Steel could inquire about his plans and exploded in another flash of green light. This time, he transformed into a merge between Jetray and velociraptor-like alien wearing a helmet. A visor came down to shield his face and XLRay shot through the air like a bullet leaving the chamber, creating a sonic boom in his wake.
He soared through the skies of CN city until he came to his giant headquarters in the heart of town, noticeable for its giant glowing Omnitrix roof. He swooped around the side and landed on a ledge marked with the Omnitrix symbol – a landing spot for all his flying aliens. He transformed back into his natural state, pausing for a moment to crack his back with a groan.
"Man, I'm getting old," Ben groaned.
He entered the base through the sliding door and took a look around. His headquarters was alive with fun and excitement everywhere. The whole place had been decked out for a major party: balloons, streamers, a banner, a buffet table – all the works. And his closest friends – the Justice Friends – were walking around mingling.
Dexter was in a spirited debate with his wife, Blossom, and Zak Saturday while Monkey was eating cake on his shoulder. Rex Salazar was introducing their newest members, Finn and Steven, to the crime detection system in the center of the room. Juniper Lee and Naomi were talking about magical artifacts while Rachel McKenzie was lurking in the shadows nearby. And Belladonna was talking to Jack, who was not an official member but more of an advisor.
And at the center of it all was his wife, Kai Tennyson, who was pushing a cart with a large cake when she noticed her husband teleport into the room.
"There you are!" said Kai impatiently, walking up to her husband and poking his chest. "I thought you weren't going to show!"
"Sorry, sorry, got held up," said Ben, raising his hands in defense. She crossed her arms, frowning, but lightened up a little when he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Both of them then looked to their left. "Told you I would miss the party, kiddo."
The person he was referring to was the spitting image of Ben from when he was ten years old, but with Kai's skin tone. The boy had been talking to Bubbles when he heard Ben's voice and turned around. The boy smiled and ran into his Ben's arms, giving him a big hug.
"Thanks, dad," said the boy gratefully.
"You only turn ten once," said Ben proudly. "Happy birthday, Kenny."
Kai and the Justice Friends all shouted "Happy Birthday" together, making Ken Tennyson feel like the luckiest kid in the universe.
Twenty minutes into the party, Ben separated himself from a conversation between Zak and Rex, arguing which was better: Sumo Slammers, Weird World, or El Amor De La Pasión El Amor. Partly because he needed to make a call, and partly because he didn't trust himself not to punch Rex for saying Carmen was a better character than Ishiyama. Ben pulled out his holographic communicator, which projected an image of his old partner, a bearded Revonnahgander in a Plumber uniform.
"Greetings, Ben," said Rook Blanco, smiling at his former partner. "I hope you are well. I apologize that I could not attend young Kenny's birthday. I've been very busy as of late dealing with the fallout from the recent Incursion Civil War."
"The work of a magister is never done," Ben chortled. "How's Attea, by the way?"
"She's still empress," answered Rook. "And she's agreed to joined the United Planets as promised. Hopefully things will start to settle down once they settle into their new homeworld."
"That's great, Rook," said Ben. "Just make sure to come back safe, pal. Kenny misses you."
"Kenny misses me?" Rook questioned smugly.
"Okay, wise guy," Ben chuckled. "Catch ya later."
Rook gave his old friend a salute before disconnecting. Ben pocketed the transmitter and looked around for his son. Kenny was talking with best friend, who also just happened to be the son of one of Ben's closest friends and his cousin's stepson (his family was very confusing, Ben thought.)
"Man, you're so lucky," said Devlin Levin, waving and blushing as Samurai Naomi walked past, smiling at the boys. The boy had good taste in crushes. "You get tom hang out with superheroes every day. All I get over at my house demons from another dimension and that fat porcupine guy running for president."
"Yeah, it is pretty sweet," Ken bragged, puffing out his chest with his fists on his hips. "Last week, we Queen Ilana and King Lance over for lunch when this giant monster came crashing down from space – "
"I hope I'm not interrupting your fascinating story, Kenneth."
Ben and Devlin swerved around and looked up, finding a transparent image of Earth Master Sorceress, Gwendolyn Levin.
"Aunt Gwendolyn!" Ken cheered.
"Hey, mom!" Devlin greeted.
"Hey, sweetie," Gwendolyn smiled at her stepson. "How are thing going on Earth. You're not causing trouble for Aunt Trixie, are you?"
"Nah, nah, we're totally cool!" said Devlin, waving his hands defensively. It didn't escape Gwnedolyn's attention that her stepson's would-be cheery smile was twitching nervously. "Copacetic, even!"
"Uh-huh," said Gwendolyn in a disbelieving tone.
"Hey, there's my third favorite doofus cousin!" said Ben loudly, walking over to join them with his wife. "Hey, you got a little something right there – oh, wait, that's your face. My bad."
"Are you ever going to grow up?" said Gwendolyn, rolling her eyes with a playful smile.
"I've been trying for twenty years," said Kai teasingly. "He's a hopeless cause."
"You knew what you were getting into when you married him," said Gwendolyn jokingly. "Sorry Kevin and I couldn't make it for the party. Legerdomain has somehow gotten even worse with the new leader in charge. Not only is he hording all the magic for himself, but he's trying to strip all the inhabitants of their most basic rights."
"Sounds like what happened back in 2025," Ben commented.
"I'd rather forget about that," said Kai, groaning. "I still remember those ba – " she glanced sideways at the children, "er, jerks trying to kick me and my grandpa out of our own land."
"Yeah, it's looking bad," said Gwendolyn, frowning. "Things have been bad since Charmcaster died... But let's not ruin the party. Here, I got you a little present."
She did a small waving motion and a rune of light appeared in the air in front of Ken. Then next thing he knew, Kenny was tackled to the ground by a dog. If a dog was made of solid stone and had purple magic lines on its body. Ken laughed as the stone beast tried licking his face – until he realized its tongue was made of gravel and started to hurt. Gwen shot a smug look at her "dweeb" cousin before flickering out.
Devlin finally shooed the stone beast away and helped his best friend to his feet. And just in time, too, because Kai rolled in the cake, lighting all ten candles on top. The guests all wished Ken a happy birthday again and clapped together with the birthday boy blew out the candles.
"Time for presents," said Kai, handing her son a metal box. "This is from Uncle Rook. He's sorry he couldn't make it, so he thought this might make up for it."
Ken snatched the box enthusiastically; Uncle Rook was Ken's favorite family friend (don't tell Aunt Trixie!) and always gave out the best gifts! He pressed the shiny red button on top and the box grew dramatically, elongating into a green hover board.
"Cool! The new X-321!" Ken cheered.
"Geez, Rook, way to set the bar," Ben joked as Ken showed off his new present to Devlin, Finn, and Steven.
"And where is your present, Mr. Hero?" Kai asked her husband.
"It'll be here…any minute now…," said Ben, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he glanced towards the door. "Trixie's just putting the finishing touches, that's all. She'll be here."
But as everyone else started handing out their presents, Ben was starting to get anxious. By the time Ken opened Rex's gift (a homemade robot with a fully functional flamethrower, which Kai confiscated), Ben was pacing back and forth with his head down, arms crossed, tapping his finger impatiently. The last person to give their present was Devlin (the boy gave his best friend a holo-game from his favorite series.) Ben would be expected to give his present next – a present he didn't have.
Where on Earth was Trixie –
Just as he thought about it, the elevator doors opened and Ben exhaled a relieved sigh when he saw Trixie step out. His longtime companion had her black-and-green hair tied in a high ponytail, wore a lab coat over her casual attire, and had a pair of safety goggles hanging around her neck. It looked like she had just gotten out of the lab. And she was carrying a metal sphere under her arm.
"There you are!" Ben hissed quietly, running over to meet her. "Cutting it a little close, aren't you?"
"Do you realize how much work went into making Kenny's present," Trixie retorted. "You only gave me a month to work on it. If you had told me sooner, I would have had more time."
"Right, right, I'm sorry," Ben apologized.
"Aunt Trixie!" Ken shouted when he realized the guardian of the Omnitrix had arrived and gave her a hug around the waist. Trixie smioled and patted him on the head before he pulled away. "Where've you been. The party's almost over."
"Sorry, sprout," Trixie apologized, tossing the metal container to Ben. "Just had to finish working on the gift your father and I came up with."
"You made me a present?" Ken asked his father curiously.
"Yes, we did," said Ben, grinning with contained excitement. "Now, you know I haven't been too psyched about bringing you into the hero business."
"Really? Hadn't noticed," said Ken sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Fighting aliens is not kid's stuff, Kenny," said Ben seriously, touching his son's shoulder. His wife and partner's skeptic gazes didn't escape Ben's notice. "But since I got the Omnitrix when I was your age, Trixie and I agreed that it's only fair that you should have this."
Ben handed him the spherical container, which Ken looked over curiously. There was a moment of silence before the container opened with a sharp hiss. Once he saw what was inside, Ken let out a shocked gasp. He couldn't believe it; it was the Omnitrix – the original version! Ken ecstatically reached inside and the Omnitrix jumped onto his arm, molding around the contour of his wrist and merging with his skin.
"Yes, my own Omnitrix!" Ken cheered.
"Whoa, sweet!" said Devlin, staring at the watch in envy and awe. "When can I get one?"
"When you learn to take the trash out without being told a dozen times," said Trixie, crossing her arms.
"All right, geez," Devlin groaned.
"This is full cool!" said Ken excitedly, inspecting the device. "Hmm, which of your ten thousand aliens should I try first?"
"Which of ten aliens heroes," Ben corrected. "If I started with ten, so do you. You'll have to unlock the rest on your own, just like I did."
"Aw, okay," Ken moaned. "Hmm, let's see. Four Arms, definitely. Way Big, Diamondhead – ooh, Atomix, yeah!"
"Sorry, sprout, but your father was very specific about which aliens you should be given access to," said Trixie. "I wanted to randomize the selection, but your father was very adamant."
"Way to throw me under the bus," Ben grumbled.
"I don't even get to pick?" Ken complained.
"Don't worry, I gave you a couple of old school classics: Fasttrack and Jetray," Ben reassured him. "That way you can get away when things get too intense."
"Who said I was gonna run away?" Ken questioned.
"Well, there's also Wildvine, Ditto, Buzzshock, Spitter, Snakepit, and Sandbox," Ben counted off. "Oh, and Shellhead and Toepick."
Devlin covered his mouth to hide his laughter.
"Dad, most of those dudes are so feeble!" Ken argued. "I mean, Shellhead's just a big turtle whose only power is to hide in his shell! And Toepick even grosses me out!"
"Well, if you don't like it, I could always take it back," Ben remarked with a smug grin.
"No, no!" Ken cried, putting his hand over the Omnitrix as if shielding it. "But you gotta at least trade Toepick for – I don't know – Grey Matter?"
"Deal," Ben agreed.
"Okay, that's enough, you two," said Kai, stepping in between her family. "Kenny, what do you say?"
"Thanks, dad. Thanks Aunt Trixie," said Ken. "This is the best gift ever – even if it is full of lame – aliens."
"My pleasure, kiddo," said Ben, hugging his son, and Kai joined in on the family bonding as well.
The three of them didn't see Trixie standing off to the side, hands in her pockets, watching the Tennyson's with a subdued sadness in her eyes. Devlin noticed it; he noticed everything about his Aunt Trixie. He walked over to stand by her side, joining her in watching the Tennysons. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke up:
"You okay, Aunt Trixie?" he asked.
"Huh…oh, yeah, just…just thinking…," said Trixie halfheartedly.
"About Aunt Charmcaster?" Devlin guessed cautiously. It was always a sensitive topic in the family; Devlin was only a year old when Aunt Charmcaster died, so he didn't know her personally. But he knew Aunt Trixie loved her and occasionally caught her staring at Charmcaster's photo when she was alone.
"Yeah…," Trixie admitted. "Just…wondering if we could've had that. A family, you know…."
Devlin went mute, not knowing how to respond. Luckily, the danger detection alert rang and everyone pivoted around curiously.
"DANGER ALERT! SECTOR B-DELTA-NINER!"
"Relax, everyone, go back to enjoying the party!" said Ben, pulling away from his family.
He crossed his arms together, clicking the Biomnitrix together, and transformed into a humanoid velociraptor again, but this time was covered completely in a metal containment suit and radiated with energy.
"I'll take care of this!" XLRG reassured them.
Another burst of green light exploded beside him before XLRG could take off. The amalagated hero looked over to find one of his oldest aliens – Fasttrack – standing beside him. Ken's first transformation; if this alien had any tear ducts, XLRG could be crying tears of joy.
"Don't you mean we'll take care of this?" said Fasttrack. "Race ya!"
The blue-furred alien took off in the blink of an eye; XLRG caught up with him a literal second later.
"…So we're still getting cake, right?" Devlin asked the awkwardly silent room.
Sploot – a gelatinous monster created in an accidental experiment at CN University.
It had somehow gotten out of the Null Void (which has honestly been a revolving door these days) and was rampaging through downtown again. The dark blob monster crashed through a billboard for Mayor Eddy's re-election campaign and crashed down on a highway, cracking the road and causing cars to swerve out of the way. Sploot gurgled and looked around mindlessly when he noticed a huge trail of dust heading in its direction, then spotted XLRG and Fasttrack running at it.
The gelatinous beasts stretched out its arm and splattered its goo all over the road. XLRG glided over the trap because he was moving too fast, but Fasttrack got caught like a bug in a flytrap.
XLRG exploded in a flash of green light, transforming into Cannonblast – a combination of Heatblast and a large alien capable of curling into a ball. The amalgamated alien curled up and its magma shell ignited, turning into a literal fireball as he dropped on Sploot's head. The impact smashed Sploot through the highway and slammed it to ground level; Cannonblast bounced away and exploded in another green flash.
Now he had become Diamond Shock – a combination of Diamondhead and Buzzshock. Diamond Shock extended his arm and peppered the Sploot with a shower of crystal shards. At first, the shards just uselessly floated inside Sploot's gelatinous form. But then, the crystals suddenly unleashed a millions volts of electricity inside Sploot's body; the gooey beast squealed in pain before collapsing on the ground, melting into a puddle.
"Hah, too easy!" Ben boasted, reverting to his natural form. "Don't you think, Kenny? …Kenny?"
Ben looked around cluelessly until he heard the familiar sound of the Omnitrix timing out; he hasn't heard that annoying buzz in years. He looked back up at the highway above as Ken changed back to human form, but his legs were still stuck in Sploot's goo.
"Aw man…," Ken complained.
But the day was far from over. Not long after S.E.C.T. took Sploot away, Ben and Ken received an alert that Mot Snikrep had escaped from Incarcecon and crash-landed on Earth – in CN City, of all places. The father and son duo tracked him down easy enough; kinda hard to miss a giant red rampaging monster.
The ten Ditto Hopper clones bounced off the walls, kicking Mot Snikrep one after another until the prison escapee was knocked off his feet and send flying to the edge of the rooftop. He did find it a little annoying that he had to avoid the flying cameras trying to record the fight, especially since he can't just break it and risk getting sued for destruction of private property – again.
He would never know that a silver-haired child in an oversized purple coat was watching the screen in the square so intently.
The Ditto Hoppers merged together into one, then shifted into another alien in a burst of light. Now Ben had transformed into Water Spitter and gushed out a surge of water from the slot where its mouth would be. Mot Snikrep was sent sliding across the roof, completely drenched. He began to pick himself up when arcs of green electricity jumped across the puddles and shocked the alien brute. Mot Snikrep snarled at Buzzshock, who was standing off to the side with his electrified fists ready for a fight.
A fight that would never happen due to a cloud of noxious green gas flowing over the alien escapee. Mot Snikrep choked on the gas, holding his throat, then stumbled around several paces before collapsing on his back. Buzzshock clenched his fists and glared as the creator of the noxious cloud – Gut Dust – transformed back into his father.
"Dad, I had him!" Buzzshock complained.
"Just wanted to make sure," said Ben.
The young Nosedeenian crossed his arms and pouted as his dad made another call to S.E.C.T. for pick-up.
The father-son duo returned to Omnitrix headquarters after a quick patrol several hours later. The party had long since ended and all of the guests had left. Clean-up in the future was a breeze; a literal push of the button was all that was needed to make the place spick and span. Devlin was still eating cake when Ben and Ken walked in while Kai was putting the rest away and Trixie, being the Justice Friend's woman in the chair, was directing the other heroes out on missions through the global monitoring system.
"So, how was the first day as partners?" Kai asked the boys.
"Three up, three down; can't complain," said Ben proudly, ruffling his son's hair.
"Sure, you can't," Ken grumbled. "'Cause you iced me out of all the action."
"Just having an Omnitrix doesn't make you a hero," said Ben sagely. "Your job is to watch, learn, then pitch in – when it's safe."
"How can I 'pitch in' if you never give me a chance?" Ken complained, throwing up his arms in frustration, and walked away. "Ugh, I'm outta here."
"Kenny!" shouted Ben.
"At least I got one present that isn't completely useless," Ken retorted angrily, picking up his hover board and walking out to the landing pad.
"Devlin – " Trixie started, watching the scene play out over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on him," said Devlin, setting down his empty plate and chasing his best friend out the sliding door.
"Where does he get that attitude from?" questioned Ben.
"It's a real mystery," said Kai sarcastically with a dry look.
Ken was still fuming as he glided through CN City's skyways, hands in his pockets and glaring at nothing. He couldn't even enjoy the new hover board that Uncle Rook got him.
It's not fair, Ken thought. What was the pointing of giving him his own Omnitrix if he wasn't allowed to use it. It may as well just be an ordinary watch – except, he realized, it couldn't tell time like his dad's Biomnitrix. So double fail.
Devlin ended up catching up with him moments later, borrowing Ken's old board. He didn't say anything at first; his best friend was understandably upset. But they couldn't just fly aimlessly around the city without saying anything.
"…You good, dude?" asked Devlin cautiously.
"No," Ken snapped; Devlin expected that. "I have my own Omnitrix now and my dad still treats me like I'm a little kid."
"Technically, you are a little kid," Devlin pointed out.
"Like you're so mature, Mr. eleven-years-old," said Ken mockingly.
"Dude, I'm trying to be supportive here," said Devlin. "I mean, I get it. Mom won't even let me near her library because she thinks I'm gonna open one of her dumb magic books and start Armageddon. Parents are just overprotective, you know. It's no big deal."
"There's a huge difference," Ken argued. "Your mom didn't give you a spell book and said you couldn't use it. I thought getting my Omnitrix meant he was finally starting to trust me."
"He does trust you," Devlin defended. "He's just worried, that's all."
"Whatever," Ken scoffed. "At least this new hover board Uncle Rook gave me is pretty sweet – "
Suddenly, a blur of purple and silver shot between the boys, nearly knocking them off their boards. Ken and Devlin yelled, swinging their arms around like windmills, and grabbed each other's arms to stop themselves from falling over. The reckless flier pivoted around on their purple hover board and stopped in the air in front of them, and Ken looked up with a glare.
"Hey, watch where you're going, you jer – "
Ken's words got lost somewhere in his throat. He found himself staring, open-mouthed, at a girl – a very pretty girl with long silver hair in a ponytail and pink eyes bright as gemstones. The high collar and longs sleeves of her oversized purple coat concealed her mouth and hands, giving her an air of mystery. The heart-shaped necklace glittered with a bright gemstone that was the same color of her eyes, which were locked intently on Ken.
Ken felt his face heat up and gulped nervously –
Until Devlin snapped his fingers in Ken's face.
"Dude, you in there!" he yelled.
"Huh, wha – " Ken babbled incoherently.
"Smooth move, boys," said the new girl teasingly. "You sure you know how to use those boards? Maybe you're better off walking."
"Is that a challenge?" asked Devlin.
"Maybe," said the girl; Ken had a feeling she was smirking behind her collar. "Let's see what you can do."
The new girl flipped and flew ahead. The boys looked at one another, grinning, and chased her down.
The mysterious girl glanced back over her shoulder, checking if the boys were still following. There was challenging glint in her eye as she sped up and dove into a gap in a building, flying through a makeshift obstacle course of pipes. The girl ducks, slid, and jumped over the metal pipes at different heights, landing perfectly back on her board, and shot back out into the open air. She looked back again in time to see Devlin flip over a pipe and land safely back on his board before catching up with her.
"Not bad," the girl complimented him. She looked back again and noticed someone was missing. "Where's your friend? He's didn't get splattered, did he?"
Devlin looked at her smugly before a burst of green light exploded above their heads; the girl gasped in surprise and looked up. A one-eyed plant alien with flytraps on its shoulders shot past the girl, nearly throwing her off her board.
"Let's see you do this!" shouted Wildvine challengingly.
He extended off his root-like legs and snagged a pair of exposed girders on opposite sides. His roots went taut and the plant alien was slingshot backwards, once again flying between Devlin and the new girl, spinning like a pinwheel. The girl looked impressed.
"Okay, so you got some moves," she complimented them.
The three spent nearly half an hour trying to show off to each other. The new girl was good and Ken technically cheated with the Omnitrix, but Devlin out shined both of them – especially after he dived through a jumped through a concrete pipe in motion. They kept going until Ken's Omnitrix timed out and he reverted to his natural form. They decided to call it quits then.
The three children decided to take a rest – on the shoulder of Ben's statue, no less! Kenny purposely put himself in the middle of the trio so that he could sit next to the cute girl while also keeping Devlin away from her. They're best friends, but for some reason girls thought Devlin was more attractive; chicks really dig bad boys.
"Not bad, not bad," the new girl praised. "Kinda cheated, but I'll let it slide."
"I didn't cheat and I still kicked your butt," said Devlin, smirking. "The name's Devlin. Devlin Levin."
"I'm Elpis – just Elpis," Elpis introduced.
"That's Greek, right?" asked Devlin interestedly.
"Yeah, it means 'Hope,'" answered Elpis. "I was named after my mom."
"That's pretty cool," said Devlin.
"Uh – I – I'm Kenny!" Ken jumped in quickly, sounding desperate for Elpis' attention. "Kenny Tennyson!"
"No duh," said Elpis. "I saw you fighting with your dad on the mega screen. Nice Omnitrix, but it doesn't look like your dad's, though."
"His is an upgraded version called the Biomnitrix made by Aunt Trixie," Ken explained, glaring at his old device. "This is what his old Omnitrix used to look like. And work like. It has a limiter, so it always times out."
"Still pretty awesome," said Elpis.
"What would be awesome is if he trusted me to help him out more," Ken complained. "He won't let me do squat."
"Maybe that's just because he worried about you," Elpis suggested.
"That's what I said," said Devlin.
"Ugh, not you, too," Ken groaned. "Why is everyone always defending him?"
Just then, the Omnitrix beeped and the communicator opened.
"Kenny, dinner time," said Ben. "Devlin, if you're there, Trixie wants you back home pronto."
"Looks like we're calling it a day," said Devlin, standing up and hopping on his board.
"Yeah, me too," said Elpis somberly. "If I'm late, my uncle lock me in my room."
"If my dad did that, I'd just sneak out through the window," said Ken joking, hopping on his own board. "Catch you later, El."
"Yeah, you too," Elpis waved them off.
Elpis watched the boy fly around the corner with a strange look in her eyes. Her gaze narrowed as redirected it to hero's stone face.
Later that night, when the moon was at its zenith, Omnitrix Headquarters security alarm screamed "INTRUDER ALERT!" throughout the base. Ben, Kai, and Ken were startled out of their slumber, jumping out of bed in their pajamas and running to the main hall at the same time.
"Who'd be dumb enough to attack us here?"
"Every once in a while, someone thinks he has something to prove," said Ben confidently. "Let's take care of this – as a family."
"A real team?" asked Ken excitedly; Ben nodded.
"Well, bring it on!" cheered Kai as she reached over her shoulder…and pulled the legendary Excalibur from behind her back. "I could use the workout!"
"…Do you sleep with that thing?" asked Ken curiously.
"Yes, yes, she does," answered Ben, frowning.
Any further elaboration was lost was the ground beneath them started to rumble. A glowing outline formed underneath their feat, forming a series of runes and sigils that glowed brighter as the circle was filled in.
"Magic circle!" Kai yelled. "Move!"
Ben grabbed his son and her and Kai jumped in opposite direction as the floor exploded. Ben used his body to shield his son from the worst of the blast, resulting in his left arm getting scratched up, while Kai landed in a crouched position and sliced through the flying debris.
As the smoke dissipated, a shrouded figure floated ominously from the hole in the floor and hovered near the ceiling. Their features were obscured due to the large, billowing black cloak, but he recognized the long staff with a bird skull on top and a golden ring through its sockets.
"The Staff of Ages!" Ben gasped. "Hex?"
"Hex" did not deign him a response. He pointed the Staff of Ages at the father-son duo and shot a blast of magical energy at them. Luckily, Kai jumped in a deflected the first shot with the broadside of Excalibur, sending flying over "Hex's" shoulder. "Hex" was unimpressed and waved his staff in a circle, conjuring dozens of pink orbs that shot across that room like a hailstorm. Ben picked Ken up, then grabbed Kai by the wrist, and carried them around the edge of the room as they weaved through the volley of magic bullets.
"Initiate emergency lockdown!" Ben shouted.
The Tennysons narrowly dodged another magic blast when a wall of steel doors emerged from the floor and ceiling, splitting the room in half with "Hex" on the opposite side. Once they were safe, Ben set Ken down on his feet then transformed into Shockarms – a combination of a Tetramand and a Gimlinopithecus.
"Kenny, your room!" Shockarms commanded.
"You just said we'd handle this guy together!" Ken complained.
"That was before I knew it was Hex!" said Shockarms. "Go! Secure room K1!"
Ken yelped when the floor suddenly gave out underneath him, sliding him off to another part of the base. With their son now safe, Shockarms and Kai returned their attention to the barrier, which was steadily starting to bend under the pressure of "Hex's" magical assault.
"I don't get it," Kai said aloud. "I thought Hex was more Gwendolyn's enemy than yours."
"Maybe he's just looking to hurt her through us," Shockarms suspected. "Stay on your toes."
The metal wall finally breaks away and collapses in a heap at Kai and Shockarm's feet. "Hex" floated silently above the pair and raised the Staff of Ages again, projecting another magic beam that cause the two to leap in opposite directions. Shockarms ran around the room and swung an electrified punch, but "Hex" floated backwards out of his reach. But at the same time, Kai ran up the wall behind the sorcerer and kicked off, flying at "Hex" with her sword ready. Unfortunately, "Hex" noticed her and used telekinesis to catch Kai, swing her around, and throw the woman at her husband. Shockarms was about to catch her in his…well, arms, then immediately jumped back when "Hex" took a shot at him.
"Is it just me, or is he a lot less chatty than usual," Kai commented.
"Yeah, I was expecting him to come off with some long-winded chant or something," Shockarms commented.
"Hex" shot another beam of magic at the pair when Shockarms transformed in another burst of green light. He had turned into Chroma-Eye – a combination of an Opticoid and a crystalsapien. Choma-eye raised up his hand and absorbed the magical energy through the crystal eye on his palm. The energy circulated through his body and exited through the giant crystal eye on his chest, projecting a rainbow beam, that hit "Hex" at full force.
The sorcerer collapsed on the ground, his robe smoke, and started to pick himself up when a flash of green light turned their attention. Cannonblast curled up in his molten shell and slammed down on top of Hex like an anvil, smashing the floor to the lower levels. Kai stared down the hole, scolding her husband for property damage – again – before jumping down after them.
While this was going on, Ken's pet stone beast had been peacefully napping in Ken's room. Or at least he was, until its master so rudely fell out of the ceiling and narrowly landed on it.
"Ow," Ken grimaced when he landed on his butt. "Aw man, there's no way I'm skipping this fight."
Ken knew he could get out through the front door – his parents would have made sure it was securely bolted during an emergency lockdown. Luckily, there was one escape route left – one that had not been available until he had his own Omnitrix, and an alien small enough to fit through….
Cannonblast slammed "Hex" at the lowest level of the headquarters, then bounced away and uncurled. Kai dropped down from the new hole in the ceiling and stood by her husband's side as he transformed into Buzztrack – a combination of Fasttrack and Buzzshock. "Hex" rose from the ground and dusted himself off so casually, it was as if Ben had done little more than tickle him.
"Not bad," 'Hex' finally spoke…except their voice was softer and more feminine. "I expected nothing less from the 'hero of heroes.'"
"Is that…a girl?" Kai questioned, taken aback.
"Well, it's definitely not Hex," said Buzztrack.
"But despite your efforts, I am exactly where I need to be: the Null Void Chamber," said the young sorceress.
"You're in for a big surprise, kid," said Buzztrack.
The sorceress looked around the room…and was startled to find it was completely barren. The sorceress stood in stunned silence for a moment…then she gripped the Staff of Ages and yelled, "Where is it?"
"After Animo broke in, we hid the containment unit," Buzztrack explained. "Now, why don't you be a good little girl and put down the magic stick…."
The young sorceress growled, her grip tightening until her knuckles popper. Then, with a furious roar, she waved the Staff of Age and crafted a giant pink magic circle in midair…. And Kai and Buzztrack suddenly dropped their guards, wearing expressions of stunned disbelief.
"Ben, that sigil," Kai gasped. "Is that…?"
"No…it can't be…," Buzztrack shook his head slowly, eyes wide at the heart-shaped rune in the middle of the circle – a sigil he was intimately familiar with.
Now that they had dropped their guard, it was the perfect chance for the sorceress to attack. But as she prepared to fire, the vent grate above the Tennysons opened and Grey Matter poked his bulbous head out.
"Now's my chance," said Grey Matter. "I'll prove to dad that – "
And in true Tennyson style, the Omnitrix timed out at that exact moment, blinding the chamber in a burst of red. Ben, Kai, and the sorceress turned their head simultaneously and looked up, discovering the hilarious scene of Ken trapped halfway out of a vent too small for him.
"Aw man!" Ken complained.
"Kenny!" Buzztrack and Kai cried with worry.
The sorceress had the perfect chance to wipe them out while they were distracted, but when she saw Ken, the hooded mage suddenly lost the will to fight. Instead, she turned and released her spell on the side wall, blasting a hole though. Buzztrack threw himself over Kai to shield her from the flying debris while the sorceress used the opportunity to escape. By the time the Tennysons looked back, the intruder had already flown off into the city, disappearing into the night.
Buzztrack sighed dejectedly; he would deal with the intruder and their…revelation later. For now, he transformed into Wild Snare – a combination of Wildvine and Snare-O – used her bandaged roots to free his pouting son from the wall.
"Don't give me that look," said Ken, cross his arms as he was placed on his feet and his father changed back. "If you had trusted me to help, I wouldn't have been in the vent in the first place. And why didn't you tell me you moved the Null Void? You totally have no faith in me!"
"Kenny – " Ben started to speak up as his son walked away, but Kai stopped him.
"Leave him; he'll get over it eventually," said Kai seriously. "Right now, we have something more important to discuss."
"You're right…," said Ben, frowning. "I'll call Trixie."
"In all fairness, he's not obligated to tell you about the Null Void," Devlin told Ken the next day as the pair hanged out on the shoulder of Ben's statue. The older boy was loudly sipping on a soda while his best friend pouted. "I mean, you're still just a kid. And the Null Void is a top secret prison container."
"Who's side are you on, anyway?" Ken snapped.
"There are no 'sides,' Kenny," said Devlin reasonably. "I'm just saying, there are gonna be things your dad will keep from you. I mean, it's not like my mom and dad tell me everything, but I don't throw a tantrum about it."
"I'm not throwing a tantrum!" yelled Kenny.
"Could've fooled me." Ken and Devlin turned around as Elpis swooped down on her hover board, landing between them; Ken looked very happy to see her. "Let me guess: daddy issues?"
"Nailed it in one," said Devlin, snickering.
"Glad I'm not the only one with family troubles," said Elpis.
"Why? What's wrong?" asked Ken, worried.
"I was supposed to see my uncle last night, but he never showed," Elpis explained. "I wasn't even surprised – he's hardly ever there to begin with."
"What about your parents?" asked Devlin.
"My mom died when I was born," said Elpis, lowing her head sadly. "And…uncle never told me about my other parent, only that they weren't there when my mom died. I'm pretty sure they abandoned her."
"That's rough, pal," said Devlin sympathetically.
"I'm used to it by now," said Elpis casually before turning to Ken. "So, you're problem? Dad still not letting you play?"
"It's not playing, it's crime fighting," said Ken, scowling. "If he just trusted me a little, I could've helped kicked that magic dude's butt after they broke in. But it's too late for that now."
"Magic dude?" asked Elpis repeated curiously.
"A wicked warlock named Hex," Devlin explained. "He and my mom used to fight all the time back in the day. But I thought he was supposed to be in the Null Void."
"Don't criminals escape the Null Void – like – all the time?" Elpis remarked. "It's as bad as Arkham."
"She's got a point," Devlin agreed.
"Well, not like it matters," Ken complained. "My dad moved the Null Void chamber without telling me. He doesn't trust me at all."
"…You know, if criminals keep escaping, maybe there something wrong with the chamber," said Elpis slowly, approaching Ken and touching his shoulder. The boy visibly flushed as she lean in close. "Maybe we should check it out. Find out if we can fix it."
"I don't think that's a good idea," said Devlin, frowning.
"Yeah, you're right," said Elpis, stepping away from Ken. "I'm sure Ben 10K will just take care of it by himself – as usual."
"Do you even know where it is?" questioned Devlin.
"I have an idea," said Ken, hopping on his hover board. "But first, we're gonna need to take a little detour."
DexLabs' North American headquarters was located on the northern side of CN City, across the street from Mandark Industries headquarters (because, of course.) And as CEO, Trixie had her personal office on the top floor, guarded by the most advanced security she could design. Not that it mattered much when you had a personal access code to the place.
Ken, Devlin, and Elpis casually walked past the security drones that swept the hallways. The drones had Ken and Devlin's faces registered in their systems and Elpis got a day pass from the front desk. So they arrived in front of Trixie's office do with no trouble.
"Why are we breaking into Aunt Trixie's office again?" asked Devlin, frowning.
"Dude, think about it," said Ken. "S.E.C.T. is always dragging the bad guys off to the Null Void containment unit after my dad beats them. I thought they were just taking them downstairs, but if the containment unit's been moved…."
"What makes you think it would be here?" asked Elpis.
"S.E.C.T. works directly for DexLabs after Trixie bought them out when the government dropped their division," Ken explained. "And there's no one in the world my dad would trust more to guard the Null Void chamber than Aunt Trixie."
"I guess that makes sense," said Devlin uncertainly.
Ken input the security code to Trixie's office and waited until he heard the multi-cylinder locks released before stepping inside. The office was ginormous with a lot of space for her work desk, a lounge area for hosting guests, a workbench littered with parts and wires, several shelves filled their technical books, and even a fully stocked bar. But the biggest eye catchers were the two large paintings on the walls on either side of the door. One of the paintings was of Ben and Trixie standing side-by-side with their arms over each other's shoulders, smiling like best friends. Ken stared at the painting for a moment, then walked over to Trixie's desk.
"There's gotta be a switch or a button around here," he said, opening the desk drawers. "Help me look."
"How exactly is something that big supposed to fit in here?" asked Elpis, thumbing through the books.
"There must be a secret elevator or portal or something," said Devlin, carefully searching the workbench.
"This is taking too long," said Ken impatiently as he activated the Omnitrix. "We gotta speed this up."
He slammed down the faceplate and exploded in a burst of green light. He had transformed it a small black-and-white alien called Ditto and immediately split up. And I mean that literally as there were now six of them rummaging around the office – "
Ben exhaled a deep, mournful sigh as he stared out across the cityscape with his arms crossed.
"Still having trouble with Kenny?" Trixie asked, standing beside him.
"Kinda," said Ben, frowning.
"Kai and Gwendolyn seem to think you're being overbearing," said Trixie. "And I have to agree with them. You trusted Kenny enough to give him an Omnitrix. You should trust him to take care of himself."
"I just don't want him to make a mistake," said Ben.
"We all make mistakes, Ben," said Trixie sympathetically. "Some of them dumber than others. Like…remember that time a crazy old lady tricked Gwendolyn into thinking she was an alien from some made-up species. What was it called again?"
"Anodite," Ben snorted.
"Yeah, that," Trixie snickered. "Can you imagine? An alien species made of mana. So ridiculous. My point is that we learn from our mistakes and grow better for it. You of all people should know that."
Ben exhaled another deep sigh and said, "I guess you're right."
"I always am," said Trixie smugly. "But, I get it. Parents have trouble letting their kids go. Not that I would know anything about having kids."
"Yeah…about that…," Ben said nervously, which made Trixie curious. "Did you hear about the break-in last night?"
"Only what I saw on the surveillance system," said Trixie. "It was Hex, right?"
"No, but she was just as tough," said Ben. "The thing is, Kai and I saw them forming a magic circle with a certain sigil on it. And Gwendolyn told us, sigils are associated to family lineage."
"Is there something you want to tell me, Ben?" Trixie asked seriously.
"It was Charmcaster's sigil," Ben answered gravely. Trixie react was just as he expected; stunned silence. "I know, because I've seen that sigil a hundred times – on both sides. It was definitely hers."
"I…I need to sit down," Trixie mumbled weakly, slowly sitting down on the edge of the building. After a few seconds, Ben sat down next to her, touching her shoulder to comfort her. "…I just…I can't believe it."
"Is it possible that Charmcaster had a daughter before she died?" Ben asked cautiously.
"Well, I know she tried," answered Trixie staring unblinkingly below, lost in a daze. "Because of my Slime-biot physiology, I don't have enough genetic material to procreate naturally. So Charmcaster talked about having a baby using magic. When she presented the idea, I was over the moon."
"Do you know if it worked?" asked Ben.
"I don't know," Trixie answered honestly. "We were both so busy at the time – me running DexLabs and her ruling over Legerdomain. We were so caught up our jobs, I completely forgot about the baby. And when Charmcaster died…." She turned to Ben hopefully. "Ben…do you think that girl is my…."
"I don't know, Trixie," said Ben earnestly. "I really don't know."
While Devlin and the Dittos were running around trying to find the hidden entrance, Elpis was staring at the second painting in the room. It depicted Trixie standing hand-in-hand with a regal-looking woman with long silver hair, both of them smiling down on Elpis. The silver-haired girl just stared at them for who knows how long.
They both looked so happy, she thought.
"That's Aunt Charmcaster." Elpis jumped with a started yelp as Devlin appeared next to her. He also stared up at the portrait, frowning. "I was only a year old when she died, but I heard she was pretty cool. I wish I coulda met her."
"Why is she in this picture with your Aunt Trixie?" asked Elpis curiously, looking back at the painting. "Were they close?"
"They were more than close," Devlin snorted. "They were married."
"They were…married?" Elpis repeated, her eyes suddenly going wide in disbelief. "They…they were in love?"
"That's an understatement," said Devlin. "My dad said Aunt Trixie used to trip over herself trying to impress Aunt Charmcaster. She was really broken up after Aunt Charmcaster died. She didn't talk to anyone for years; spent her whole time locked up in her workshop. Mom and Uncle Ben were really scared for her."
"How did she die?" asked Elpis slowly.
"Some creep named Ghostfreak," said Kevin, frowning. "Tried to take over the magic world. Aunt Charmcaster sacrificed herself to stop him for good."
Elpis stared at the painting, processing everything she just learned. She put a hand on her heart necklace, clutching it like it was a lifeline, secretly biting her bottom lip as her eyes began to sting –
"FOUND IT!" One of the Ditto clones yelled.
Everyone turned around to the clone on the left side of the room, who was waving at them from the bookshelf. He gestured to thin book – almost unnoticeable – branded with the Omnitrix symbol. He gave the book a sharp tug and a series of clanging noises echoed throughout the office. The bookcase next to it suddenly sank into the floor, revealing a hidden elevator behind it.
Ditto, Devlin, and Elpis road down the elevator in silence for what seemed like miles until it finally stopped. The silver doors slid open and the three stepped into a massive secret chamber. And in the center of the chamber was none other than the missing Null Void containment unit.
"Hah, dad thinks he's so smart," Ditto said mockingly.
As Devlin and Ditto walked up to the computer panel below the containment unit, Elpis narrowed her eyes dangerously. She raised her hand and closed her fist in the air, manifesting the Staff of Ages from nothing. She pointed the staff at the clueless points and projected a beam of pink magic from the skull's mouth. Devil and Ditto yelled as a ring of pink mana bound them together, causing them to trip and fall flat on their faces.
"Youch!" Ditto whined.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" yelled Devlin, struggling against the binding spell.
"Thank you for leading me to the Null Void containment unit," Elpis spoke in a cold voice, walking past the boy, her staff clattering against the floor with each step. "I knew I could count on you."
"Wait…that staff," Ditto gasped, recognizing the weapon of last night's intruder. "You're Hex?"
"No, I'm Elpis," said Elpis plainly as she approached the panel. "This is Hex."
Elpis pressed a button on the panel and claxon warning sirens wailed. The containment unit lowered to the ground and the doors peeled open into a right orange light. A single figure emerged from that light, hovering a foot off the ground.
His entire body was thin and malnourished, appearing more as a skeleton than a person. His entire body with the exception of his feet, hands, and head were bounding in black wrapping like a mummy, each bandages marked with dozens of glowing red runes. His face was gaunt; his eyes sunken and his cheekbone hollow. A black hood was thrown over his head, casting a shadow over his yellow eyes.
Hex had returned.
"Hey, uncle…," Elpis greeted. "Good to see you."
"Elpis…," Hex murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "How can this be? Did you – "
"I freed you, uncle!" said Elpis excitedly, offering him the Staff of Ages. "I even brought you your staff! See!"
"I…Elpis…you shouldn't have…," Hex stuttered. Elpis looked at him strangely; he wasn't acting like the fearsome sorcerer he was supposed to be. "You shouldn't be here – I shouldn't be here!"
"You got that right!" shouted Devlin.
Hex cast his gaze over to Ditto and Devlin, who were still lying on the floor.
"Ben Tennyson?" Hex gasped. "You even brought the relative of my most formidable enemy here?"
"That's not Ben," Elpis clarified. "That's his son, Kenny. And the other one is Gwendolyn's stepson, Devlin."
"Dude, way to throw me under the bus!" Devlin yelled.
"Lucky Girl's son?" Hex hummed interestedly. "I see…. You do bear a resemblance to that man she was romantically attached to. What was it he could do again? Some kind of…mutation?"
"You're about to find out, skull face!" Devlin scowled.
He grabbed the mana ring and, for a moment, it looked like he was trying to break it. But then, to Hex and Elpis's surprise, Devlin actually absorbed the energy into himself, mutating his arms into the same substance as the mana ring. With his new adaptation, Devlin shattered the binding, setting himself and Ditto free. Devlin jumped at Hex swinging his mana-infused fist…but when he suddenly stopped in midair. The boy swung and flailed, but he wasn't getting any closer to Hex, who actually scooted away with uncertainty. It took a moment for Devlin to realize that he was being suspended by a levitation spell by Elpis, who was wielding the Staff of Ages.
"Very impressive," Elpis complimented. "I didn't even know you could absorb mana."
"El, you don't have to be a part of this," Ditto tried to reason with the girl. "You made a mistake, okay, but you can fix it – "
Ditto was cut off when Devlin was thrown into him and they both slammed into the wall. And to make matters worse, the Omnitrix decided now was the appropriate time to power down.
"Aw man," Ken complained. "Stupid Omnitrix.
"This is almost too easy," Elpis chortled, aiming the Staff of Ages at the boys as he powered up for another shot. She was surprised when Hex suddenly grabbed her by the arm. "Uncle, let go, I have a shot!"
"Elpis, you need to sop this!" said Hex.
"Why? We're winning!" Elpis retorted, tearing her arm away from his grip.
While they were distracted, Devlin scrambled to his feet and slammed the button above their heads. That activated the alarms, which would no doubt reach Ben any second now. Devlin turned around with a victorious grin, but quickly dropped to the ground when Elpis took a shot at his head.
"Elpis, you really need to go," said Hex warningly. "Ben Tennyson will arrive any second, and if he sees you – "
"No worries, uncle," said Elpis confidently. "Two master sorcerers are more than enough for the likes of Ben 10,000."
"You're not a master sorcerer," Hex scolded her. "And that's not the point. You need to leave before you get in – "
Whatever he was about to say went unheard because a giant green portal suddenly popped into existence in the middle of the chamber. Everyone stared as Subrifter – a combination of Subwolfer and Rifter – hopped through the portal, followed shortly by Trixie.
"Told ya I'd be faster," Subrifter said cockily to Trixie, who rolled her eyes.
"Dad!" cried Ken.
"Aunt Trixie!" shouted Devlin.
"Kenny? Devlin?" Trixie blinked, surprised. "What're you two doing here?"
"We kinda…broke in and opened the Null Void," said Kenny, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Kenny, you are in so much trouble when we get home!" Subrifter scolded him.
"I think he's in enough trouble already," said Trixie, pointing ahead at Hex and Elpis; the latter took a fearful step back.
"Hex," said Subrifter, scowling. "The real one this time."
"And that must be…," Trixie spoke slowly, her gaze falling on Elpis. The smaller sorceress took a defensive stance, gripping the Staff of Ages tightly. Trixie took in Elpis's features - the silver hair, the pink eyes, the heart-shaped face – it was like seeing her wife again after ten years. "You… You are…."
"Never thought we'd meet this way…mom," Elpis mumbled, still holding her stance.
"So it's true," said Subrifter mournfully. "You really are Charmcaster's daughter. And would make you Trixie's daughter, too."
"Where have you been all this time?" questioned Trixie.
"After Charmcaster perished at the hands of that…freak," Hex spoke scathingly, "the responsibility fell to me to raise Elpis. I tried to teach her as best as I could, teaching her the ways of magic and the universe."
"Why didn't she stay we Trixie?" questioned Subwolfer. "She's her mother."
"We were cast into the Null Void by the ghost's minions soon after Charmcaster's death," Hex explained remorsefully, touching his grandniece's shoulder. "She spent most of her life raised in the Null Void."
"I escaped last year after through a wormhole and ended up on Anur Transyl," said Elpis. "Took me monthes to hitch a ride to Earth. Ever since then, I've been planning to break my uncle out of the Null Void."
"I'm sorry all that happenbed to you," said Subrifter, who then transformed into Frankendrillo – a combination of Frankenstrike and a Talpaedan. "But we're gonna need to put your uncle back in the Null Void. We'll figure out what to do with you after."
"Don't worry, uncle!" said Elpis, jumping in front of Hex. "I'll take care of these losers! You just get ready to run!"
"Elpis, stop – "
Elpis fired a beam from the Staff of Ages, forcing Frankendrillo and Trixie to jump in opposite directions. Frankdrillo slammed his fists into the ground and released a surge of electricity from the tesla coils across the floor. Hex jumped out of the way with a startled gasp while Elpis hovered in the air and fired another beam. Frankendrillo backpedaled out of the way and jumped when Elpis waved a magic whip at his feet. The young sorceress raised the Staff of Ages as she started charging up for the next attack, when Trixie suddenly grabbed her from behind. The child's mother had the wings of a Terradinian to fly and the arms of a Tetramand to restrain Elpis in a four-armed bear hug.
"Elpis, please, you need to stop!" cried Trixie desperately. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Then get out of our way!" roared Elpis.
Elpis pressed her palm into Trixie's stomach and created a magical pulse wave that sent Trixie flying backwards into the wall. As the green-haired woman collapsed on the ground, Frankendrillo leapt into the air with his fist pulled back. But Elpis waved the Staff of Age and trapped the amalgamated hero in a pink bubble. She wordlessly sent him flying into the ceiling and sent him crashing back down on the floor. A flash of green light exploded and Ben Tennyson lay on the ground in his natural form, grimacing in pain.
Elpis pointed the Staff of Ages and started charging up for another blast…until Hex grabbed her arm again to stop her.
"Elpis, that's enough!" Hex scolded her.
"But Uncle Hex, we're winning," said Elpis. "Once I take him out, then you'll be free and – "
"Elpis," said Hex resolutely, grabbing his grandniece by the shoulders and forcing her to look him in the eye. "I'm not going with you."
"…What?" Elpis spoke in a soft voice.
"I'm going back into the Null Void where I belong," said Hex firmly.
"But – But why?" Elpis stammered. "After everything I went through to free you, why would you go back to that horrible place?"
"My child," Hex spoke remorsefully. "I have done so many terrible things – to this world, and to your mother. Raising and protecting you was my way atoning for the harm I caused Charmcaster, but I still must pay for my crimes. I shall spend my waning days in the Null Void, reflecting on my actions until my dying breath."
"But what about me?" Elpis cried.
"You spent your whole life trapped in the Null Void," said Hex, caressing his grandniece's cheek gently. "But now that you're free, you can do whatever you want, be whoever you want. That's all I could ever ask."
"…No," Elpis backed away slowly, shaking her head. "No, no, that's not fair! You can't just – just abandon me like that!"
"I'm not abandoning – "
"Yes, you are!" Elpis screamed, tears running down her face. "You're leaving me, and I'll be all alone again! It's not fair!"
"Elpis, I – "
"It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!" Elpis wailed, clutching her head as her screamed grew louder. Without even realizing it, she started levitating off the ground and a bubble of magic surrounded her, sparks arcing off its surface., "IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
Elpis threw her head back with an agonized screamed; bolts of pink lightning shot across the chamber. Trixie grabbed Ken and Devlin and jumped out of the way as a stray bolt cut across the wall and Ben rolled sideways to dodge another. The Omnitrix hero gritted his teeth and looked at Elpis. His heart hurt to see the ten-year-old child bawling her eyes out, unable to control her emotions or magic. He wanted to help her, but he needed to stop her first.
Another flash of green light and he transformed into Diamond Rath. He used his silicon skin to deflect the stray bolts of lightning, then jumped and tackled Elpis out of the air. The flew to the ceiling and smashed their way through, making their way outside.
Ken stood up and said, "We gotta help Elpis!"
"Help her?" said Devlin in disbelief. "Dude, did you forget the part where she lied and betrayed us?"
"She just wanted to get her uncle back," Ken reasoned. "She's not evil, she's just lonely."
Devlin crossed his arms and, after a moment of thought, exhaled an exasperated sigh and asked, "How're we gonna help her? She'll just magic blast us if we get too close."
"There's only one hero that can get the job done," said Ken as he activated the Omnitrix, cycled through the selection wheel, and slammed down the faceplate.
Elpis and Diamond Rath erupted from the street and the civilians whom were just going about their normal lives ran away in a panic. Elpis used her magic to float herself and Diamond Rath was holding the sobbing girl by the arms.
"Elpis, you need to calm down!" yelled Diamond Rath.
"GET OFF ME!" Elpis screamed.
She projected another magic pulse that pushed Diamond Rath off, then conjured an energy whip that bound around his ankle. Elpis swung Diamond Rath around twice before releasing him down the street, sending him crashing through dozens of neon signs. Diamond Rath landed in a heap on the ground, slowly starting to get to his hands and knees. She was slammed back down as Elpis pointed the Staff of Ages and unleashed a sonic blast that fractured Diamond Rath's silicon body when his animalistic hearing made the noise a thousand times worse. The amalgamated hero finally collapsed face down in the rubble and transformed back into his human form when he passed out.
Elpis hovered over Ben, grinding her teeth as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. If she was thinking straight, she would have considered just leaving in that moment. But Elpis was emotionally unstable and, as a result, waved the Staff of Ages and began charging for the final blow.
At least, until Gray Matter suddenly stepped in.
"Not so fast, El!" the Galvin declared.
Elpis blinked, momentarily stunned by Ken's appearance, when he suddenly exploded in a burst of green light and transformed into Spitter. The sorceress stared, befuddled, before Spitter blasted her in the face with his…spit, sending her crashing into a fruit stand. As she started to climb out, Spitter suddenly transformed into Buzzshock and slammed his hands on the trail of spit, carrying arcs of electricity to Elpis. The young sorceress yelled in pain and surprise, then dropped to her hands and knees.
She looked up and glared as Ken returned to his human state.
"How are you changing so fast?" questioned Elpis.
"Used Gray Matter's brains to hack the Omnitrix and remove the limiter," Ken explained proudly. "No limiter, no timing out. Instant hero switches at my command – "
His gloated was interrupted when Elpis cast another binding ring around Ken and pulled him closer to her.
"That still won't save you," Elpis spat.
"But I will!"
Elpis looked around wildly as Devlin, his body taking on the composition of steel and molding his hand into a mace, ran and slammed her in the stomach. The young sorceress was sent flying across the street, smashing through the window of a Courage Café.
"You didn't hurt her, did you?" Ken asked worriedly as Devlin helped him up.
"That's a weird way to say 'thank you,'" said Devlin grumpily.
The boy spun around as Elpis climbed out of the broken window, brushing off the bits of broken glass on her jacket, and glared at them. Ken took a few cautious steps forward, his arms raised in surrender.
"El, listen," he spoke to her gently. "I understand you're upset – "
"No, you don't understand!" Elpis snapped. "All you ever do is complain about how overprotective your dad is! Do you realize how much I would give to have someone worry about me as much as he does you? I've spent my whole life in the Null Void with only my uncle! Then had spent a year alone trying to break him out, only to find out that he doesn't want to break out! So now I have nothing!"
"That's not true!" cried Ken. "We can still – "
"I don't want to hear it!" Elpis screamed, shooting a magic beam at the pair.
Devlin stepped in front of Ken to absorb the blast, but the beam was more powerful than he expected and both of them were shot across the street. They crashed against a wall hard enough the crack the stone and fell to the ground in a heap, both of them depowering.
And Ben, who had just recovered, saw the whole thing and glared furiously at the child.
"All right, that's enough out of you!" Ben shouted angrily as he crossed his arms and exploded in a burst of green light.
Elpis raised the Staff of Ages, prepared to face whatever alien he threw out next…. Only she could never be prepared for this. The young Sorceress tilted her head back, arms falling by her side, eyes wide in disbelief at the monumental creature that stood above her.
Ben had just pulled out his most powerful alien ever – Big X.
The To'kustar-Celestialsapien combo tilted its head slowly, casting its green gaze on Elpis. The young sorceress back away unsteadily and tripped over her feet, falling on her butt, the Staff of Ages clattered out of her reach. Big X slowly, ominously reached its starry hand out, casting a massive shadow over the street. Elpis tried crawling backwards until her back hit a wall and realized there was nowhere left to run. As the hand got closer, Elpis curled in on herself, her breath hitching as tears of fear ran down her face, waiting for the end to come….
…
…
…
But after a full minute, nothing happened.
Hesitantly, Elpis poked her head out from under her arms. Big X's hand hover feet above her head, but remained strangely still. After a long moment of silence, the cosmic giant burst into green light and Ben Tennyson stood up front of Elpis, arms crossed and scolding.
"I hope this mean you learned your lesson," he said.
Elpis shakily uncurled herself, nodding slowly with a fearful shudder.
Seeing that Elpis was no longer a threat, Ben walked over to Ken and Devlin. Luckily, the two of them weren't hurt since Devlin absorbed most of the blast.
"Are you kids all right?" asked Ben worriedly.
"We're fine, dad," said Ken. He looked over at Elpis, who had gone limp against the wall, laying in defeat. "What's going to happen to her. You're not going to put her back in the Null Void, are you?"
Ben didn't answer, but he had a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Elpis just lay there, lost and helpless. She didn't know what she was going to do. After everything that happened, she was almost certainly going to be sent to the Null Void. It would mean being with her uncle again, but…she hated the Null Void. It was a horrible place with the worst people in the universe. She liked it out here, on the outside. She didn't want to go back….
The young sorceress stared at the ground hopelessly until two pairs of feet came into her vision. She glanced up slowly and saw the concerned faces of her uncle and Trixie – her mother.
Hex kneeled beside his grandniece and touched her shoulder gently, muttering, "It's going to be all right, Elpis. It's over now."
"…You're still going back to the Null Void, aren't you?" Elpis mumbled miserably.
"Yes," Hex answered plainly.
"And…will I be send back, too?" asked Elpis, biting her lip.
"Not necessarily," said Trixie. "You caused a lot of damage, but nothing a little community service can't fix."
"But…if Uncle Hex goes back to the Null Void…," Elpis sniffled, "then I'll be all alone again…. I don't want to be alone…."
"Elpis, you're not alone," Hex told her reassuringly. "Even if I'm not around, you still have family here for you. That's the reason why I had you escape in the first place."
"He's right, Elpis," said Trixie gently, kneeling down on her daughter's other side. "Even if I didn't know about it, you are still mine and Charmcaster's daughter. You are the ultimate expression of love we had for each other." She slowly, cautiously, touched Elpis's shoulder. "I regret not learning about you sooner. If I had known, I would have torn down the Null Void to find you."
"But it's not too late," Hex added. "You have a chance to be a real family, just as Charmcaster would have wanted."
"…You still want me?" Elpis asked Trixie hopefully. "Even after everything I've done?"
"We all make mistakes," Ben joined in, walking over with Ken and Devlin. "Even I still make them, like not trusting my son to take care of himself. But the important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and grow from them. A good friend reminded me of that."
Trixie smiled, proud of her friend.
"So what do you say, Elpis?" asked Trixie, offering her hand. "Will you become part of our family?"
Elpis stared at the offered hand with uncertainty. She glanced at her uncle, who smiled and nodded in approval. Then, with some hesitation, she took her mother's hand. Trixie helped Elpis rise to her feet – then let out a startled gasp when the child tackled her into a hug, burying her face in Trixie's stomach. The green-haired woman smiled and hugged her daughter back.
Ben watched her old friend with pride when he felt Ken suddenly hug him from the side and looked down in surprise.
"What was that for?" he asked curiously.
"No reason," said Ken, grinning. "Just…happy you're my dad."
Ben's heart warmed as he kneeled down and fully embraced his son, saying, "Me too, Kenny. Me too."
This is by far the longest chapter I've ever written. I had so much fun writing about Elpis and making all those fun combo aliens.
If you want to see what Elpis looks like, here's a picture Red made with AI imagining.
(w-w-w . deviantart . c-o-m / stash / 0hu4pfnkrl5)
And here's one of the future Justice Friends just for fun.
(w-w-w . deviantart . c-o-m / stash / 01s37apf49ku)
Next chapter: we've finally reached the end of the road. Summer is coming to an end, but the road trip is not ending before one last showdown. The Forever Knights are making their move, and this time, the Tennysons might not make it out alive. The world will soon tremble before...the Forever Queen!