NOTE: Sorry, this took so long. This chapter and the plot went through a few rewrites. So, I wanted to make sure I had everything down pat before updating it.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 1: Growing Future
Opening his eyes, Ben found himself sitting in a familiar classroom. His emerald-colored orbs rolled exaggeratedly at the setting. "Great! The same old boring school! Can't I ever get somewhere that doesn't fill me with dread?"
"I don't know, I certainly don't mind it."
Looking over, Ben saw a familiar feminine face smiling at him; a mechanical maiden with pale skin, very long bluish-gray hair tied into a ponytail and piercing red eyes and dressed in Yasogami High's summer uniform. One of the most interesting features about her design was her headpiece, which resembled a knight's helmet.
"Labrys, did you have to pick a school setting again?!" Ben whined.
She giggled lightly. "I can't help it; it's my favorite! I love sitting in here, you know?"
A few months ago, he had started having these weird dreams, almost similar to the ones with Vilgax and Zs'Skayr, where he'd wake up in locations that were familiar and unfamiliar. The only dot connecting them was the teenage-like cyborg known as Labrys. At first, he had chalked it up to all of the milk he'd drink before bed, but the continued sight of the mechanical maiden proved him wrong. Ben was hesitant initially, but he inevitably realized that Labrys wasn't a threat and connected with her. This was now one of many meetings they often shared together within his dreams.
"I can't really relate. School is beyond boring and tiring. Who wants to sit in a classroom all day or do boring homework when they can be outside kicking butt?!" Ben exclaimed. During these meetings, he had explained all of his adventures since getting the Omnitrix, fascinating the cyborg.
"For a hero, I guess school can seem pretty boring, hm?" Labrys hummed softly. "For me, school seems like such a fascinating place. A setting where people can learn so much about the world, make friends, and aspire to be whatever they wish as they age." A longing smile graced her beautiful features. "It sounds so human."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "You want to feel human?"
"Should be obvious~!" Labrys responds in a sing-song voice. Ben blushes and turns away with crossed arms, making her giggle. The mechanical maiden rests her head on the desk. "Ben, there's not much that I get to experience here."
"Where are you even? You said that even though we communicate through my dreams, you're not physically here." Ben inquired.
"Somewhere else, far from where you live." Labrys' voice lowers as she stares past Ben and through the windows. The fabricated blue skies seemed so lifeless to her. "This world is so empty, nothing like the world you live in. All of these places that these dreams exist in are only possible because of your memories. It's the closest I'll ever get to the real thing."
Ben never thought about her situation like that. He doesn't know where Labrys comes from since she apparently can't remember it either. When he met her, she seemed so confused by everything he was telling her as if it were the first time she had ever heard of things like junk food or television. It was starting to make sense that Labrys was never given the chance to explore the world or whatever world she came from.
When he wasn't here in this dream world, was she stuck all by herself?
Ben made up his mind.
"Then I'll show it to you." Ben said, grabbing her attention. "I'll find you and show you my world. Seeing everything personally has to be way better than me telling you a bunch of stories, right?"
Labrys sat up in her seat, staring at the young boy. "You'd do that? For me?"
"Well, yeah! Nobody deserves to be alone! I'll find wherever you are and bring you back here to Bellwood!" Ben exclaimed proudly. "You can stay at my place too! I'm sure I can convince my parents to let it happen!"
There was silence before it was broken by Labrys pulling him into a hug. Her metallic body felt oddly warm, comforting Ben in a familiar way. The metal teenager smiled softly. "You're a good kid, Ben. I want to see the world with you, the world that you've saved countless times."
"I promise. I'll show it to you. We're going on a road trip soon for our summer vacation! You can come with us! Be one of us!" Ben happily suggested.
"One of you…" She muttered.
Ben broke the hug to look up at her. "It's funny, you remind me of someone."
"Who?"
"My big sister."
Labrys blinked for a moment, recalling the title in her memory bank. "Yukiko, correct? The heiress to the Amagi Inn."
"Yeah, she's a bit weird at times. But I always feel like I can talk to her about anything. Being here with you made me feel the same way." Ben explained. "You guys also look a bit similar."
"R-really?!" Labrys sounded a bit excited. "Y-you see me in the same light?"
"I mean, you're pretty weird too."
Labrys deflated.
"But a 'cool' weird!" Ben corrected, raising her spirits.
She blushed, putting her hands behind her back. "Thanks! I'll take being seen as weird if it means you care about me so much."
Ben smiled until the world around them started to disappear. "I guess it's time to wake up, huh?" He feels slender metal fingers touch both sides of his face, raising his head to meet the crimson eyes of Labrys. "What-"
"Don't forget your promise, okay? Show me the world you love so much." As he looked at her beautiful face, he could see the visage of his big sister right next to Labrys. The world around them was crumbling, light encompassing everything in sight. He didn't have a lot of time left.
"I will! When Ben Tennyson makes a promise, he keeps it!" Ben declared.
Labrys' face softened at his words. "Ben, I…" A conflicting look crossed her features. Whatever left her mouth next was muted, unable to pass into the boy's ears. Ben's confusion was brief as Labrys disappeared alongside the dream world, leaving him to wake back up in reality.
Ben Tennyson laid in his bed, staring up at his Sumo Slammer poster stuck to his ceiling. He looks over to his digital clock to see that it was Monday. The week before school would let out for summer vacation. His thoughts drifted back to Labrys and his promise to her, which led him to his newest conundrum.
How exactly was he going to find her?
There was knocking on his bedroom door. "Benjamin Tennyson! Hurry up and get ready for school before you end up being late!"
"Ugh!" Ben whined loudly. "Stupid school…!" He had enough on his plate already without the thought of summer homework stabbing into his back. Ben decides to hurry up before his mother decides to barge into his room again.
Over in Inaba, Yukiko Amagi was spending the late evening conversing with her friends at Junes. Two months ago, she, Chie, Yosuke, and Yu had finally graduated from high school. Their journey into adulthood was as quick as the seasons switching from spring to summer. Discussions of their plans after high school involved further schooling in the case of Yu, Yosuke, and Chie. The boys were going into business courses, while Chie was planning to enter the Police Academy.
Kanji, Naoto, and Rise were a year younger, so they still had this last year of high school left.
Yukiko, while sipping on her iced tea, treasured these blissful moments for as long as she could. Time was such a troublesome thing, one that took so much away from all living things without a shred of mercy. They were all growing up, their futures fast approaching with the speed of XLR8. They couldn't always be together forever, especially with their career goals extending outside of this quaint little town. For her, Inaba was her career as she'll finally start her training to soon inherit the Inn from her mother (Who was far too happy to toss the responsibilities on her).
"Yukiko-chan, are you okay?" Chie's question brought the heiress out of her mind.
"H-huh?! Y-yes, I'm just fine, Chie-chan!" Yukiko exclaimed quickly. "I'm just thinking about the future, that's all."
"Yes, I assume that your future endeavors would be weighing on your minds as of now." Naoto joins the conversation. "Yosuke-senpai and Chie-senpai will be leaving town soon."
"Partner and I are at least going to the same university, so we'll still be in close contact." Yosuke clarified.
"And Yosuke leaving means that I'll be getting the room all to myself!" Teddie happily declared. The magician did not look happy about whatever stupidity Teddie would be getting into while he was gone.
"It'll suck not having you guys around, but I'll be doing my best at the academy. I might even bring back some souvenirs from the city while I'm at it." Chie added with a cheeky smile.
"A wedding ring for me, Chi-chan?"
"Not on your life, bub." She rolled her eyes at the bear.
"And I'll be extremely busy handling things at the Inn. Though I am taking an online business course on the side." Yukiko adds her future plans.
Kanji lowered his eyes at his drink. "I guess we won't be seeing a lot of each other, huh?"
"I wouldn't say that, Kanji! We still have that summer trip coming up! A road trip with the Tennysons!" Rise exclaimed. She didn't like the downtrodden air eclipsing their table, so she'll be the one to look on the bright side. "Sure, our futures are going to be leading us all in different directions but that's even more reason to do our best to stay together! It's what Senpai would say!"
Yukiko agreed with the idol. "Correct, Rise-chan. Yu-kun would say something similar if he were sitting here with us right now. After the road trip, we'll just have to do our best to stay together. It's a similar promise I made with Ben and the others."
"Speaking of the Tennysons, any updates with them?" Chie inquired.
Yukiko hummed slightly as she thought back to her American family members. "Earlier in the year Grandpa took Ben, Gwen, and the twins to Azmuth's planet to fix the Omnitrix. Apparently, there was some rogue Galvanic Mechamorph called Malware that they had to take down too. Ben managed to beat him and trap him on their moon."
"That sounds cool!" Rise exclaimed.
"But…"
"There's always something more, yes?" Naoto shook her head. Even for a skeptic like her, she would like things to just be simple.
"Is it something bad?" Kanji frowned, looking ready to jump into action.
"Malware managed to escape from under Azmuth's watch." The heiress let out a curse as she thought about the self-proclaimed smartest being in the universe. "So, now he's out somewhere possibly planning to strike again. Grandpa told us not to worry about it until Malware actually makes a move."
"That sounds not so cool." The idol grumbled.
"Do you think he'll strike here?" Teddie's question made all of them wonder the same. On the chance that the evil alien decided to target their town, they needed to be prepared.
"I had asked Grandpa about it, but he said that the chances of Malware coming to Inaba is unlikely. He'll either try targeting Galvan Prime or Ben to get the Omnitrix." Just the thought of her little brother being in danger without her there to help her was stressful. However, for now, she had to have faith that her family could handle it.
"If Ben-chan managed to take that creep down before, then he'll do it again. He always manages to come through." Rise reassures the heiress.
Memories of the previous summer and the Christmas holiday fills Yukiko's heart. She places a hand to her chest with a tender smile. "Yes, yes he does. I shouldn't worry so much. He's growing up into a strong young man."
Growing up…
Ben and Gwen were getting older as the days went by. Ben was even growing taller than Gwen if recent pictures were anything to off of. They're already in middle school, a few more years and they'll be entering high school.
Time was moving by so fast, and Yukiko was unsure if she could keep up with it.
"What are you looking at?"
Gwen looked up from her pile of sheets to see Alice approaching her. The sorceress had decided to spend her lunch in the library for some peace and quiet. There was only so much of Ben and Bella's shenanigans that she could take before throwing them both through a window. Brushing her bangs aside, Gwen leaned back in her chair. "Oh, just some pamphlets on what high schools I'd like to go to."
"You don't think it's a bit too early?" Alice asked as she took the seat next to Gwen. She picked up one of the pamphlets, flipping through the pages.
"Probably, but I like to get a head start on these things. And I want to be sure that the steps I'm taking towards my future are the right ones." Gwen answered. She picked up a pamphlet to show Alice. "This one is a boarding school, so if I go there, I'll have to leave Bellwood. They have some of the highest GPAs in the country and several facilities aimed towards assisting students to succeed."
"So, you want to leave Bellwood?" Alice's question made Gwen flinch slightly.
"I… well, I don't really know." Gwen answered hesitantly. "It's not like I'm racing to leave town or anything. I love Bellwood, but I have to think about my future. Even Kenny's planning to head out of state to learn how to be a mechanic."
"But your family and friends are all here. So, you feel like you'd be abandoning them or trapping yourself in isolation if you leave." Alice read her friend like a book.
"Am I that easy to read?"
"I can smell your hesitation." The stoic wolf-girl shrugged.
Gwen sweat drops. "I… don't know if I should feel offended or worried about that."
"And I've been having similar thoughts of my own." Alice said, surprising the Tennyson girl.
"What do you mean?"
"There's this theatre school that I've been thinking of going to, but it's pretty far from here. Ma didn't seem against it, but Todd and Bella don't want me going so far away." Alice placed the pamphlet back down on the table.
"...Do you want to go?" Gwen carefully asked.
"Just like you, I don't really know. On one hand, this could be an opportunity to see what it is that I really want out of my life. But on the other hand, I'll be leaving my family, my new one." Alice stared down at her palm. "I've already been separated from my family once and I don't know if I can go through it again."
"But what if you regret it?" Gwen's question made Alice blink owlishly at her. "What if you decide to stay here and not branch out of the state? Wouldn't you regret not taking the step to see if you can be more?"
"Would you?" Alice threw the question back at her.
The two young girls sat in silence, the questions of their futures burning in their minds.
"Makoto."
The blue-haired teen turned around to see his latest robotic companion looking at him. The two of them were walking back to the Iwatodai Dorms after a long day at Gekkoukan High School. On their way, something seems to have captured Aigis' attention which now required his own. He nods at her to prompt her to ask whatever was burning in her brain.
Being a machine designed specifically for exterminating Shadows and hidden beneath the surface in an underground lab, there were many things Aigis did not understand about the world. Responsibility for teaching her had been shoved onto his shoulders whether he liked it or not.
"I've been meaning to ask, I've overheard Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai discussing matters pertaining to their plans after finishing high school. Such conversation confused me as without the destruction of the Dark Hour and Tartarus, there would be no future for the world. Why speak as if there will be one?" Aigis' face held no emotion as always after asking such a deep question.
He didn't answer immediately, thinking on how to answer something like that. To be completely honest, he never gave much of a thought about his own future even before getting dragged into this whole mess with Tartarus. Makoto assumed that he would have continued drifting on through life until his road eventually reached its conclusion.
But now? After everything that's happened. After meeting S.E.E.S. and the rest of his social links throughout the city, Makoto's perspective on life has gradually begun shifting. There was far more to his life now, important things that he wishes to protect. "Hope."
"Hope?" Aigis tilted her head.
"For a world without Shadows, the Dark Hour, and Tartarus. If we couldn't imagine a future without them, then fighting wouldn't be possible in the first place." Makoto answered. "Hope gives people the strength to keep living."
"How does one do that? How do you possess hope?" Aigis asked.
"Hope isn't something you learn. It's something given." Makoto answered.
"Given…?" Aigis said the word as if it were a new type of food. The newest information processed through her database to figure out the meaning of his words. "I do not understand. Humans have such complicated rules."
"You'll figure it out. All it takes is time."
Time.
Such a fleeting concept.
Aigis awoke from her stasis once again to find herself inside of a familiar Kirijo Group transport vehicle. Her cerulean optics scanned the environment to see that her companions had been the ones to awaken her.
The redheaded mistress, Mitsuru Kirijo, regarded her first. "Did you rest well, Aigis?" She wears a white fur coat over a black catsuit with heels. Wrapped around her thigh is a black pistol holster with S.E.E.S' emblem. Resting next to her is a long case that carried her usual choice of weaponry, a rapier.
"Yes, Mitsuru, my stasis was…beneficial." Aigis answered.
"Good to hear! We'll all need to be at the top of our game soon!" The only male in the vehicle exclaimed passionately. He has a band-aid on his right cheek, a cross-shaped scar in his hair on the left side of his head, and chin stubble. He wears brown pants, and the left thigh of his pants is bandaged, while the right has several tears on it. He wears reddish brown mixed-martial arts gloves and a matching cape. He does not wear a shirt, and he seems to have been injured by a huge animal, as he has three scars on his chest, and a few scars on his arms as well.
"Akihiko, let me remind you that we're not going into a fight." Mitsuru reminds him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know what the point of this mission is. We're just scouting out our target and her friends, right? The Amagi heiress." Akihiko crosses his arms. "This all for the alliance between S.E.C.T. and S.E.E.S. that you agreed to."
"I never fully agreed to work with Lt. Steel. But I found it intriguing that our old friend Maxwell Tennyson had a granddaughter that lived here in Japan." Mitsuru corrected the assumption.
"From my memory banks, I recall that Lt. Steel wanted us to keep an eye on them in case any more destructive incidents similar to the ones back in Tokyo and the town of Bellwood in America transpired again." Aigis said.
"Yes, and he worded it in a way that made it seem like he wished to ensure they were under a form of protection. When it reality-"
"He wants us to see if they're a danger to society with their reckless exploits." Akihiko finished Mitsuru's sentence.
"I'm glad to see you really were paying attention to the debriefing." Mitsuru's jab made the boxer flinch slightly.
"Give me more credit than that, Mitsuru!"
"If you behave yourself when we arrive in Inaba, then perhaps I will." She smiled slightly. "And put on a shirt. I don't need you getting us kicked out of the Amagi Inn, because you refuse to dress like a civilized person."
While Akihiko complained to his old friend about the benefits of his attire, Aigis stared out of the window. She thought of the objective of their current mission and the potential hazards that could ensue if things were to escalate. "Was it wise?"
"Excuse me?" Mitsuru and Akihiko turned to the mechanical maiden.
"For only us to come on this mission. Would it not be beneficial to have alerted the others, especially since Yukari has encountered the Tennysons before." Aigis inquired.
Crossing her legs, the leader briefly closed her eyes. "I understand why you feel this way, Aigis, but this mission has no requirement of the others. They are no longer members of S.E.E.S and have moved on with their own lives. Unlike us, they no longer have an obligation to interfere in matters like these."
"But Yukari's story was insightful enough." Akihiko said.
"Correct. Steel's summary of the Tennysons' summer was informational, but Yukari's tale gave us a much better idea on how they operated. Those kids held extraordinary ability and used them to protect and help others. That alone told me that they aren't threats that wish to cause harm but are reckless in the way they handled themselves." Mitsuru opened her eyes, a serious aura contained within. "I wish to make sure that they understand the full weight of the powers they wield and the responsibility that comes with it."
"And if they don't?"
"Then I shall put an end to their acts of heroism and revoke the Omnitrix from Ben Tennyson." Mitsuru declared, fiercely. "Young Amagi is first, then we'll travel to America to pay Bellwood a visit."
When the school day came to an end and everyone went home, Ben Tennyson rode through the quiet streets of his town in his grandfather's RV. His thoughts were stuck on the predicament of Labrys' situation and on how to even find her. She could be anywhere on Earth, in space, or in some whatever dimension. He made a promise with no guarantee on how to actually help her, and the thought of letting her down weighed heavily on his heart.
"Are you alright, Ben?" Max's question snapped the boy from his thoughts. "Usually, you'd be bugging me to take you to get some ice cream or something."
"O-oh, I'm fine, Grandpa. Just thinking about things."
"God help us all."
"Huh?!" Ben snapped at his grandfather, causing the old Plumber to laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothing, son, just making a joke." Max chuckled. He turned down the street, deciding to head for an ice cream shop. Sure, Ben's parents will likely be upset with giving him dessert before dinner, but it would likely help cheer up his grandson. "But seriously, what's bothering you? Is it about Malware?"
"What? No way! I can kick that loser's butt any day of the week!" Ben scoffed. He leaned back in his seat, calming down. "It's just… I…" He didn't know how to start the conversation. He didn't think he should tell them about Labrys, less they assumed it was some trick by one of their enemies trying to get in his head. So, he'll have to word this carefully. "Grandpa, when you were still a Plumber were there times where you wanted to save someone important to you, but couldn't?"
"Plenty." Max immediately responded.
That surprised Ben greatly. "But you were like the greatest Plumber, right?! Heck, you kicked Vilgax's butt long before I did! There's no way you couldn't save people!"
"Beating up bad guys doesn't mean that everyone gets saved, Ben. And beating Vilgax wasn't easy as my story may have made it sound; you know that better than anyone."
True, Ben had to concede on that point. Vilgax was never an opponent that he could let his guard down against for even a second.
"Folks may see me as the 'Legendary Max Tennyson', but I've had my fair share of failures in my career. Times where I was too late or never even knew that something bad had happened until it was too late. Being a Plumber was never easy, and my team and I got lucky far more than I can count." Max explained.
"But the hero always saves everyone."
"You can't always save everyone, Ben. That's the hardest part about this job or being a hero." He parks the RV outside of the shop, then looks down at his grandson. Max saw so much of himself inside of Ben that it scared him and made him proud at the same time. The kid was growing up and needed guidance more than ever. "Ben."
"Yeah?" He sees his grandfather place a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It may be the hardest part of the job but never stop trying your best to save everyone. Keep being the hero that you know you can be." Max encouraged him.
Ben's bright smile brought a warm sensation into the old man's heart. "Heck yeah! I'll always be on the dial for Hero Time!"
"Good! Now, let's hurry and get some ice cream before your folks start asking where we are!" Max points his thumb at the shop.
"Awesome! You're the best, Grandpa!"
"Haha!"
Later that night, a groggy Ben stumbled out of the bathroom. He rubbed his tired eyes with his sleeve to clear his vision. "Ugh, next time I won't try mixing together so many ice cream flavors before eating Mom's special meatloaf." As he made his way back to his bedroom, Ben could hear something similar to static downstairs. The rain outside did little to fully drown out the sound downstairs. "Did Dad forget to turn the TV off again?"
The hero made his way downstairs to the living room to see that the television had indeed been left on. Seems his dad had gone to bed without making sure the television was completely off. Last time that happened his mom got upset at him for running up the cable bill. Ben will do his dad a favor this once, but he'll owe him for this. Ben picks up the remote to shut it off.
STATIC!
"H-Help…!"
"What?" Ben stopped himself from shutting it off.
"Help me…! Please!"
"That voice…" He puts the remote back down on the couch. Ben slowly inches closer to the television.
"Please! I-I need help! H-he's going to…!"
As the message continued, a very familiar sight became known to the Tennyson boy. A world that existed within the TV appeared from the static; alongside a face he's recently come used to seeing. Ben's eyes went wide at the sight. "Wait, that's…!"
It was none other than Labrys, the mechanical maiden was trapped in what appeared to be the roof of Yasogami High, but the school's exterior looked to be twisted. Something similar to a nightmarish wonderland.
"Someone, anyone! Please!" She lowered her head, then threw it upwards with a terrified shout. "Ben! If you can hear me, then hurry!"
Ben was now standing right in front of his TV. "Labrys…!"
"You're a hero, right?"
That question struck his heart like no other. If there was any hesitation before, then it was wiped away immediately. Ben rushed back up his stairs, as quietly as he could, to throw his usual outfit back on. Once he was properly dressed, the hero went back down to the living room, prepared to jump through the TV.
He knew this was reckless, since the last time he had done this, it was with a team of people. But he didn't have time to call his grandpa and the others for help. If he wasted any more time, then Labrys could end up in even more danger. Besides, this wasn't the first time he had to kick butt on his own. He'll go in, kick butt, save her, and get out.
"It's Hero Time!" Ben sprinted forward, lunging into the TV without a bit of hesitation. The screen rippled like liquid as his body submerged through. His vision was swarmed by the black and white looped tunnel before a shining light welcomed him back into the TV World.
"WOAH!" Ben's limbs waved wildly as he descended through the air. He was confused on why he was falling but remembered that Yukiko noted that their base was connected through that specific TV in Junes. Who knows how far away it was now at this point.
"Whatever! I'll just look for it after I save Labrys!" He activated the Omnitrix, scrolling through for his best choice. He did give the Omnitrix a hard look. "Give me Gray Matter and I'll sell you for scrap!"
FLASH!
"YES!" Stinkfly cheered, realizing he had gotten the right form. The Lepidopterran's wings were like blurs as they worked to keep him in the air. Stinkfly dashed through the orange skies to locate the chosen dungeon in this rescue. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find the twisted apparition of Yasogami High. "Alright!"
Normally, going through the front would be the smartest choice, however Stinkfly could see his friend was still trapped on the rooftop. Flight was giving him the advantage of skipping the grinding and he wasn't going to waste this opportunity. Stinkfly descended to the school, becoming visible for the mechanical maiden to see.
"Labrys!" Stinkfly exclaimed.
She flinched back, not from fear, but confusion. "W-what are you…?"
"It's me, Ben! This is one of my aliens, remember? Stinkfly!" He clarified.
Now understanding who he was, the robot teen relaxed. "Phew, it's just you, Ben. For a second there, I assumed you were a stray Shadow." He stopped right in front of her, his hands gripping the bindings trapping her.
"Wait, how do you know what Shadows are?" Stinkfly blinked. Nobody should know what those things are, especially those who have recently been thrown into this world.
"O-oh, well, that's-" Labrys stumbled on her words, clearly recognizing that she misspoke.
"Ah, don't worry about that. I explained it to her."
Before Stinkfly could even turn around, a storm of energy rained down on top of him, smashing him against the concrete of the roof. Hard coughs spat from his throat as he tried to get back up, but more and more attacks kept hitting until he stayed down. The Omnitrix started beeping before turning him back to normal.
Ben struggled to keep his eyes open as another person slowly walked towards him, two swords attached to his hips. He could barely make out the figure's sinister grin and crimson hair. Ben reached forward to try and get away, but then he felt Labrys' soft hands take his own. Suddenly, a sensation of warmth filled him, and the savior of Earth lost consciousness.
Chapter End
NOTE: If it feels like Ben went down too easily, then yeah that's the point. He didn't see it coming. Who was it that attacked him? You have to wait and find out.
One of the things I love to highlight is how time is passing for the characters. They're all growing up, becoming different people as they do. I know you guys are wondering how I'll be handling Ben in that aspect when he does grow up. Just know that I will be trying to balance his maturity with his dumb moments. He'll be mature but is also a teenager. Teenagers are prone to being idiots sometimes.
What Aigis saw were Makoto's memories. This will be touched upon later on.
Malware's escape was mentioned. I wonder what that'll entail.
Mitsuru knows the name of the watch, because of security tapes that Steel had shown them when the Tennysons were running around NASA during the whole Ghostfreak stuff. They had interfered with the tapes to make sure nobody else finds them.
Look forward to the next one!