It had been five years since the incident with Diagon, Vilgax, Sir George, and the war between the Forever Knights and the Esoterica. At the time, Ben had proven his development into a proper young adult. As a sign of approval, Azmuth had gifted Ben with a brand new Omnitrix. The Ultimatix was, in Azmuth's word's, "an inferior copy." Instead of a gauntlet, the new Omnitrix was back to a wristwatch. Its faceplate was now square instead of round and had a white and green color scheme. The faceplate was black with two green stripes forming an outline for the hourglass of the intergalactic peace symbol. When the faceplate slid back, the Omnitrix revealed the core. Ben was ecstatic that Azmuth trusted him with the final product. This was a new dawn in his hero career.
Five years have passed since that day. Ben continued to fulfill all of his social roles as a family member, friend, and boyfriend. The cousins graduated from their respective high schools thanks to a mutual understanding of the duo's responsibilities. Max made sure that Ben and Gwen were only brought in only when necessary, and both of their parents made sure that they were not skipping out on schoolwork. The parents knew they were heroes, but they didn't want them to be high school dropouts. Gwen graduated with honors, and Ben graduated within the top twenty. Soon after, they went to different colleges. Ben wanted to continue hero work, but he promised his parents that he would make it into his full career after graduating from college. He attended a local university to at least get his Criminal Justice degree. Gwen, on the other hand, fulfilled her childhood goal of attending an Ivy League school. Friedkin University was where Gwen studies the mystic arts. It was located east of Bellwood, and it was the best Ivy League college among all the colleges around Bellwood. Given the fact that Ben 10,000 was able to perform some magic, Ben had asked Gwen to help him in that area.
Ben had also spent the last five years doing some part-time Plumber work with his new partner Rook during breaks. After many exciting adventures, he unlocked new aliens and sharpened his combat and mental skills at the Plumber Academy. In honor of Ben's eighteenth birthday, Azmuth gave a software update to his Omnitrix. This added new features and improved old ones. Initially, Azmuth believed that the evolutionary function that Albedo previously developed was asking for trouble. Then again, he made a sword and a watch that could allow a being to conquer galaxies. In the end, it all comes down to how power was used and how stable the power is. Azmuth was well-regarded as the smartest being in the universe. He was often referred to by his Galvan peers as the First Thinker. Along with his intelligence, Azmuth was gifted with years of experience and knowledge. It was evident that if anyone could improve the evolutionary function, it would be Azmuth, and he did.
One of the initial problems of the evolutionary function was the lack of safeguards in the evolutionary process. Previously, the ultimate forms in the Omnitrix became unstable and conscious, and they tried to escape while possibly trying to kill Ben in the process. Another problem was the issue of a stable mental state. The evolution feature worked by placing the selected species in a simulation, right down to the DNA, for an extended period, about a million years or so, in what was described as a "worst-case scenario"; the actual DNA was then modified to match the new DNA. This survival of the fittest routine explains why the evolutions are more combat-centered than their standard forms. One would assume that a species spending a million years in 'hell' could cause possible mental problems. The new safeguards Azmuth placed in would slow the development of evolved DNA. Each genome would be analyzed to meet Azmuth's requirements before the form would be allowed for use.
Earth has changed a lot in the last several years. Things had finally calmed down not only on Earth but throughout most of the universe. The Plumbers, an intergalactic police force dedicated to preserving peace throughout the cosmos, had been granted powerful new technologies developed by the Galvan.
New weapons, new armor; basically, everything they needed to combat threats that previously required the aid of Ben and his team. Azmuth made sure to regulate the level of technology that was distributed in the organization; in fact, he was made the leader of research and development. The Plumbers would be well equipped to handle low to mid-level threats, but the Tennyson family would be on call whenever extreme danger arrived, which was not often.
Ben was mature enough to know this change was a good thing. There was peace, crime was down, and life was good. But still, there was a part of him that missed turning into an alien every day and fighting some criminal or giant monster. He didn't do any of his heroics for the fame; or at least, not anymore he didn't. He enjoys the feeling of helping others. Ben even got back into soccer along with other hobbies.
With the new-found peace, Ben was better able to strengthen his social bonds. He kept close ties with his best friend Kevin and his family. His relationship with Julie Yamamoto only strengthened thanks to the peace. They were finally able to spend quality time together without the worry of danger. Both of them attended university together. Ben and Julie moved in together in an apartment not far from campus. Luckily, they were still able to keep Ship as their pet. Julie continued to pursue a career as a professional tennis player, and Ben fully supported her. He did anything he could to keep her happy. After the situation with Esoterica, Ben knew that he had to be more supportive, considerate, and understanding. They shared a very loving and intimate relationship. All in all, life was good.
Five years after Diagon
Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour Finals
Ben, Kevin, Gwen, Ship, and Zed are currently spectating Julie in the last match of the tournament. Ship laid on Ben's lap while Zed curled up against Kevin's leg. Winning this tournament would be a big step in Julie's career. The final match was between Julie Yamamoto and Donna Vekic. So far, the first two sets have led to a tie, and the score had Julie at an advantage. To win the match, Julie had to score one more point.
"The game is cutting close. Do you think Julie can win Ben?" Gwen asked.
"She's been practicing for months. I know she can do this. I have faith in her." His eyes were full of confidence toward Julie.
"Ship, Ship," Ship 'said.'
"That's nice to hear coming from you Tennyson," Kevin commented.
"I'm not the same guy as before, and today is gonna be a big milestone for us," Ben said as he kept watching the match.
"I know. It's so sweet that you guys have been together for four years today," Gwen commented.
"I have you to thank for all this, Gwen. You made this all possible when you helped me ask her out to the pier."
"Which you ended up wrecking," Kevin remarked.
"Ship…" Ship 'said' in a much lower and embarrassed tone.
Ben cringed at that memory of the date, sighed, and smiled. "I'll be honest. It could have gone better, but it all worked out in the end. An alien was saved, we met Ship, and Julie and I walked home safe and sound." Ben stroked Ship's head as he purred.
"Even though walking a few miles home isn't the most romantic, it did let you two get closer. I saw you two walk past my house holding hands," Gwen replied with a slightly teasing smile.
Ben blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I remember that. When I escorted her to her house, her dad gave me a menacing glare for bringing her home the next morning. I ended up getting interrogated to find out what exactly happened. Luckily, Julie was there to confirm my lie that the car broke down, and we got lost. He was suspicious, but in the end, all he cared about was that Julie was safe. When I got home, I ended up having an awkward conversation about my innocence, 'feelings' with girls, and safety." He sighed at that memory.
Kevin tried to hold in his laugh until Gwen elbowed her boyfriend to get him to stop, and she pointed toward the court.
It was Julie's turn to serve, and Donna was on the other side in a ready stance. Julie bounced the tennis ball twice, threw the ball up, and swung an overhand serve. The ball soared to the other side as Donna made her move. The ball bounced once, and just as it was going to make its second bounce, Donna stretched her racket arm in time to underhand swing the ball back to Julie's court. The awkward body movement made her stumble a bit. Julie was prepared for that, and she quickly knocked the ball to the opposite end of the court. It landed just before the line, and Donna couldn't make it in time, scoring the winning point for Julie.
"The tournament is over, and we have a winner! A first-time winner, Julie Yamamoto. Congratulations on your victory," yelled the announcer.
Julie walked toward Donna and shook her hand. "Good game."
Donna took a deep breath. "You too." She gave a congratulatory hug.
Julie beamed a smile toward the crowd, taking in her hard-earned victory. The announcer walked up to Julie and said, "Julie, you are now the new WTA champion. What do you have to say to everyone out there."
"I want to thank all of my friends and family. I especially want to thank my boyfriend of four years, Ben Tennyson. He supported me in my dream. Meeting him is one of the best moments of my life. I love you."
Ben jumped from the stands and ran to his girlfriend and the announcer. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her tender lips. They both had a blush, but Ben continued. "I love you too, Julie. Congratulations on winning. I knew you could do it."
"You were with me every step of the way. I could always count on you."
"Thanks, but there's something important that I have to ask you."
"Anything Ben."
The announcer stepped off to the side while still maintaining the camera view and audio of the conversation.
Ben got down on one knee.
Julie, Gwen, the announcer, and all the women in the crowd covered their mouths in expectation.
"The life of a superhero is filled with danger, adventure, and excitement; however, I want to spend every moment of it with you by my side." He pulled out a small black box from his back pocket. He holds it in one hand and opens it with the other, revealing a gold ring with a sizable taydenite gem in the center. "Will you marry me?"
The crowd swooned at the proposal.
"Oh my god!" Julie immediately broke into tears of joy at what was happening to her.
Gwen was jumping up and down squealing in excitement while latching onto Kevin.
"We have it here first folks. The hero of Earth, Ben 10, has officially proposed to his longtime girlfriend," the announcer said to the camera.
'While I'm happy for you bro, you raised Gwen's expectations for me." He gave his best friend a big smile with a small sweatdrop.
"Ben! I can't believe this is happening!" She exclaimed with such enthusiasm and excitement.
"The world is waiting for your answer, Julie," the announcer stated.
She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. She opens her mouth, and just as she was about to give the obvious answer,
BTOOOM, a massive explosion occurred in the background.
While all of the civilians screamed in shock at the development, Ben had a different reaction.
Ben groaned in irritation and anger. "Why! Why! Why! Why now! Can't the universe see that I'm busy here!" He screamed into the sky. He sighed and looked at his love. "I'll be right back for your answer, honey. I want this moment to be free of any more distractions." He turned toward the cameraman. "Keep the camera rolling, this would make an interesting family video in the future."
Julie blushed at what that statement implied. The thought of them together at home with a young baby sleeping her arms caused her to go completely red.
"Gwen, Kevin, I'll meet you there!" The two and Zed ran toward the site. The faceplate of the Omnitrix opened, and Ben began scrolling through his aliens. He found the right one. "It's hero time!" He slammed down on the core, instantly transforming him in a flash of emerald green light. What replaced him was a blue-skinned, green-eyed, semi-armored Velociraptor wearing a helmet that was black, long, elliptical, and pointed at the top. The creature had black wheels on his feet, five blue stripes on his tail, arms that ended in three-fingered hands, black lips, black facial markings, black rings around their eyes, and had the Omnitrix symbol on its chest. "XLR8!"
He looked at the camera and stated, "Gotta go fast!" and he proceeded to run to the battle. 'Always wanted to say that.'
Downtown Bellwood
XLR8 finally reached the area which turned out to be the Plumber outpost downtown. Gwen, Kevin, and Zed were currently assisting civilians outside of the danger zone. He zipped toward Gwen and Kevin and asked, "What's the current situation?"
Gwen turned to him and replied. "The civilians have all been moved, but the intruder is still inside."
XLR8 acknowledged. "Kevin and I will take point while you take our six and give support." Both nodded, and the trio headed toward the outpost entrance. Ben pressed his Omnitrix symbol and released another burst of emerald light. XLR8 was replaced with a humanoid crystalline-rock being wearing a green and black jumpsuit with an Omnitrix belt buckle.
"Diamondhead. Not holding back, huh." Diamondhead was one of the first aliens that Ben transformed into, and the form had become one of his favorites.
With a hint of anger and annoyance, he gave a devilish grin. "Whoever interrupted my marriage proposal is so going to pay for that." 'The world can interrupt my first date. It can ruin prom night. It can even crash my high school graduation. But interrupting a milestone in my life such as this crosses the line. "You guys ready?"
Gwen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We're a family Ben. We stick together, no matter what."
"Consider this your early wedding gift from us," Kevin remarked and received another blow to his side.
"Don't worry, Ben. After this is all over, I'll be picking out the present. Kevin will just be paying for it. Isn't that right babe?" Gwen gleamed a look to her boyfriend for approval. Kevin was such a softie for Gwen that even if he were in charge of the relationship, Gwen would tell him when to put it on. Kevin nodded nervously.
'There's nothing worse than a woman scorned, especially if she's an Anodite.' Kevin remembered the time when he almost forgot their anniversary. Luckily, Ben was able to distract her long enough for Kevin to prepare everything. Kevin shook his head of these thoughts as he genuinely loved Gwen, and he would go through a lot to be with her, even the fallout from his mistakes.
"Thanks. You guys are the best. Let's move out."
"Zed, stay. We'll take it from here," ordered Kevin.
"Bark."
Plumber Outpost
The hallways to the facility were significantly dimmed. "Whoever broke in cut off all the power except the auxiliary." Gwen proceeded to raise the palm of her hand, creating three purple glowing orbs of mana. She had the spheres lead the way about 10 feet ahead.
Kevin gave his thoughts on the situation. "If I remember correctly, the only systems that should be on right now are emergency lighting, life support, and high-level security. Many of the Plumbers stationed here escaped with minor to moderate injuries. The baddy is hostile. Does anyone know what this section housed? It might give us a clue on who we're dealing with." The other two shrugged as both had no clue. Most of the time, they had to deal with off-planet issues. It was more comfortable to allow the Earth Plumbers to manage the local stations. The group came across a computer terminal in what appeared to be the receptionist area. Kevin logged in with his Plumber authorization. "From the looks of it, this facility was in charge of storing confiscated items until disposal transport."
"I have a bad feeling that today is going to be one of those days," resigned Gwen.
Ben let out a sigh. "Great just what I need. Even more drama with the possibility of big explosions."
5 Minutes Later
They heard a loud crash, and Diamondhead's hulking crystal figure sped up to the sound, with Gwen and Kevin following. Diamondhead reached a level 8 security door with a giant hole cut out. Alarms were going off signaling said break-in. He whistled at the sight. Gwen and Kevin caught up and gave a similar response.
Kevin stepped forward and examined the metal door. "It's coltan. Whoever did this was able to heat this to the melting point at about 3000 degrees Celsius."
Diamondhead replied."We're getting close. Keep an eye out." After they went through the hole in the security door, they saw that the walls were lined with security boxes. "Wow. Look at all this. These must have been here for years."
Kevin explained. "Due to the amount of paperwork, Plumbers tend to keep them in storage for much longer than intended."
Gwen stopped. "Wait. Do you hear that?"
"Yeah. It's this way!" Kevin exclaimed as he ran toward the source.
BTOOOM
A door flew off of its hinges, revealing a helmeted figure in a black cloak with purple lining.
"Well, if it isn't the pest, himself: Ben Tennyson and company. What an unpleasant surprise."
"Yeah, and it's all cinnamon and spice for us seeing you, Eon," stated Diamondhead sarcastically.
"What are you even doing here?" Gwen demanded.
"Uh... isn't he stealing confiscated alien tech?" Kevin whispered to his girlfriend.
Gwen sweatdropped as the answer to her question was pretty obvious.In an attempt to salvage herself, she whispered, "It was a rhetorical question."
Diamondhead cut in. "What could you possibly want from here anyway?"
"Ah, but telling you would be too easy. As people say, it's for me to know and for you to find out. Now it's time that I get going." Eon reached into his pocket, grabbed a remote, and pressed a button. "Why don't I introduce you to my entourage while I continue without you people in the way?" Eon stepped aside, revealing approaching figures. As they left the shadows, it was clear who the enemies were: Techadon robots. "These five have been custom made to hold you off. Ta ta." The Techadons jumped and landed in front of the team.
The Alien Force took their battle stances, and Ben looked towards the retreating figure and said, "Once we finish these tin cans, I'll be coming after you."
"Yes. Yes. Whatever you say. I have much work to do" Eon ran off into the shadows.
"Let's get this over with." Kevin absorbed the steel from a support beam, and Gwen charged up her hands.
The room turned into an all-out brawl. It didn't take long for the trio to break through several walls to bring the fight outside.
Diamond held off the machine and glanced at the others. Gwen and Kevin were doing well holding off one Techadon each, but the two extras were pushing them back. "Looks like we're gonna have to even the odds." Diamondhead punched the machine straight at the chest, pushing it back about 20 feet. Diamond pressed the Omnitrix symbol on his cheek, and he was once again engulfed in emerald light. When the light show ended, a small white humanoid stood. One of his most noticeable features was a square appendage resembling an MP3 player behind his back with a port on it. The alien appeared to have cassette tapes on his lower legs. He wore a pair of headphones around his head, and he had green circle-shaped indents on the back of his hands. The inside of his mouth was green with lines that give it the appearance of an amplifier. "ECHO ECHO!" His voice sounded high-pitched and electronic.
He immediately split into three copies. "Help them."
"Got it." the two said in sync and ran off.
Echo Echo faced the staggering robot and glared. "Wall…." He split into three copies. "of…" The three turned into nine. "Sound!" All nine copies reverberated the last word in sync with one another. The sound waves amplified each other into a single devastating blow through constructive interference. The Techadon was still standing, but it was sparking in places. 'Thank you, physics.' Echo Echo thought.
Meanwhile
"Lay off the family, rust buckets!" The two Echo Echos attracted the attention of the two extra Techadons. The two Echo Echos nodded at each other and stood at opposite sides of the robots. "Echo Chamber!" In a flash, the two robots were surrounded by copies, bearing down the force of multiple amplified sonic attacks and sparking like the others.
Suddenly, the Techadons grabbed Gwen and Kevin and pinned them down. The remaining three grabbed onto the Echos. "Ben!"
"Hey, let us go, you oversized action figures!" yelled the trio in unison.
"Yes. Thank you for the distraction, my minions. I have finally completed the device."
"What's it going to do? Destroy me? Just like every other time, someone tried that on me?" Echo Echo said sarcastically.
"As much as I would love to destroy you, I believe that I have found a much better solution to prevent your further hindrance." A machine with a large ring was wheeled into view. "Through my many travels, I had seen many alternate timelines when I battled the Tennysons and the Omnitrix." His eye made a glance at Gwen before turning his attention back to Ben
Echo Echo didn't know why he used his family name, so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. "So? That means I'll always be there to kick your butt one way or another." He replied in a mocking tone.
"That's where you're wrong. I know that I can't kill you." He looked at the Omnitrix symbol remembering the Omniverse timeline. Echo Echo gave a confused look. "Since I can't do that, I'll just have to move you." Eon pressed a button on his wrist, and the device lit up and activated. Inside the ring was a distortion of colors. "It brings me great pleasure that I have the opportunity to cast you out, forever lost within the expanding multiverse."
"What!?" Gwen and Kevin called out.
"How is that even possible for you? I thought you could only move through time." Gwen was still struggling to get free.
"Ah. Yes. I still haven't gotten to that part yet." He turned back to Ben and asked, "Do you remember that interview you had a few years ago?"
Echo Echo thought back and remembered. He hoped he wasn't right. "Yes."
"You disappeared on national television, so it was obvious for me to find out about your...predicament."
"What did you do?!" Echo Echo shouted. Ben knew Eon was referring to the time he went into Rex's Earth, but what happened while he was gone.
"While you were on the other side of that thing doing who knows what, I decided to do a little digging. That little light show that appeared was an event horizon. The energy particles were able to tear through the boundaries of the multiverse. I tried to close the anomaly before you could return to no avail. That was when I realized that this was my opportunity to get rid of you. I just needed to bide my time to get the necessary equipment and set the trap."
The three Echo Echos struggled to get free from the robotic grips, but their small form didn't give them the necessary strength. "Don't make me do something I might regret, Eon. Surrender now and maybe I won't punch you in the face."
Eon scoffed. "A tempting offer, but I must get started." He turned around to run some diagnostic checks.
The three Echo Echos looked at each other and nodded. 3...2...1
SCHREEEEEEECH
Each Echo aimed at a different target. Two aimed at the two Techadons holding down Gwen and Kevin, and One was aimed right at Eon and the control panel.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH" Eon yelled in pain. He needed to get out of range, so he jumped away to safety as the console began to spark and the machine shut down.
Gwen and Kevin were able to break free from the Techadon's holds, and they proceeded to bash their helmets.
The three Echo Echos tried to blast sound waves at their captors, but they were able to shut him up. How? They shoved their fists into his mouths. Gross.
With Ben incapacitated and Gwen and Kevin still distracted, Eon needed to act fast. He ran to the console and pulled the manual override activating the machine once again. "I need you gone now!" The device powered on, but something was off. It was too unstable, and it began to pull in the surroundings. "Goodbye, Ben. I'll see you never." In an instant, Eon jumped out of the current timeline.
This was bad. The Techadons were still holding onto Ben, and he needed to get out. He never tried this move before, but now was as good a time as any. The three Echo Echos closed their eyes and focused. Suddenly all three exploded into multiple clones, causing the robots to lose their grip.
The multiple clones unleashed multiple sonic attacks shattering the three robots to scrap. What the clones didn't know was that the pull of the machine was getting stronger. The Echos tried to run for it, but the pull was too strong. Some recombined, and then they became a line of 5 clones each hanging on to the other with one hanging onto a nearby railing.
"Somebody, stop this crazy thing!" all five of them screamed in sync. The duplicates couldn't focus enough to recombine.
"I'm slipping," yelled the one at the far end.
"Just hold on a little longer" the one-fourth in line yelled back.
Number five looked ahead to the struggling Echo slowly losing his grip on the railing. He looked back to copy number 4 "At least one of us needs to survive this and get married, we need to let go."
"Are you crazy? We can't do that. We don't know what's on the other side."
"We can't wait for the others any longer, and the pull is getting stronger."
"I don't want Julie to be a widow before she even gets married. I know I'm going to regret this but fine. The original is the priority."
"Follow my lead." Both clones let go allowing the leading Echo to reaffirm his grip. The two flew through the air toward the hole. Five gave a hard look at 4, and they both nodded. Both opened their mouths and unleashed a combined sonic attack at the ring. The machine began to break down, and the hole started to shrink slowly. Unfortunately, the pull was still active. "Hopefully, I'll see you on the other side. Stay safe" 5 saluted to 4.
"Who knows? Maybe we'll make it back home," replied Number Four. They both smiled at each other as they both flew into the tear.
Seconds later, the tear closed, and Echo Echo 1 was finally able to let go and recombine. Gwen and Kevin made it back to Ben and saw the broken robots at the destroyed machine.
"What happened here, Ben?" asked Gwen.
Echo Echo pressed the symbol on his chest and reverted to Ben. He had a somber expression. "I couldn't recombine, and I couldn't hold onto all five of us. 2 of my clones decided to let go so one of us could live." The hero sat down to absorb today's events.
Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ben, we can mourn for their loss later. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain. You still haven't heard Julie's answer yet." Ben's expression perked up at the mention of Julie. They began walking back to the tournament to find Julie.
Kevin took his other shoulder. "Don't worry Ben. I'm sure they're in a better place."
Elsewhere
Echo Echo opened his eyes as he felt a massive gust of wind blowing on his face. That's when he realized he was falling from the sky.
"Oh, geez! What the–?!" Echo Echo tried to say as he kept falling. He immediately slapped the Omnitrix symbol once again transformed. In place was a hulking, broad-shouldered alien covered in natural, yellow armor plating on his back, shoulders, and the backs of his arms. The alien was mostly white, with four claws on both of his hands. This was Cannonbolt.
He rolled up into a ball and crashed on the ground, creating a sizable crater. He turns back to human form and lies down on the same hole. "Ow..."