"Time is running out," Professor Paradox said with an air of finality.
Both Bens and Gwen immediately grew serious, their playful expressions vanishing.
"See you later," Gwen said with a small smile, glancing at her cousin.
"See you later... me," No-Watch Ben added, giving a half-smirk.
A spiraling white-and-blue portal shimmered into existence before them. Watching their backs as they prepared to step through, Ben felt something stir deep inside him. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Wait!"
The trio paused, turning to look back at him.
"I mean, I... umm..." Ben stammered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Can I...?"
Professor Paradox arched an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "You can say it."
Ben hesitated before finally admitting, "Can I come with you guys? I just... I just want to know what it feels like to be a hero for once."
No-Watch Ben and Gwen exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them.
"You can," No-Watch Ben said, a reassuring smile spreading across his face. "Can't he, Professor?"
"Why not?" Professor Paradox said with a shrug. "Even without an Omnitrix, he is still a Ben Tennyson."
Ben's face lit up with a smile, his heart pounding with excitement. Together, they all stepped into the swirling portal.
---
Emerging on the other side, the group found themselves in a city that looked familiar yet distinctly different.
"Bellwood?" Gwen asked curiously, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
"It seems different somehow," No-Watch Ben mused, narrowing his eyes at the unfamiliar architecture. "Is this the future?"
"This is the 23rd dimension," Professor Paradox explained, tapping his cane lightly on the ground.
"Hey, check it out!" Gwen said, pointing toward a billboard.
"A billboard?" No-Watch Ben asked, tilting his head as he read aloud, "'Bullies beware—Ben 23 is everywhere.'"
"Is that Ben from this dimension?" Gwen wondered aloud, studying the picture of a grinning Ben plastered across the advertisement.
Before anyone could take a closer look, a loud crash shattered the moment.
"BOOM!"
A figure came flying through the billboard, landing unceremoniously on the ground below.
"Ow... oh man... not my billboard!" the humanoid figure groaned. He had eyes covering his upper body, like some sort of living "Eye Guy."
From the hole in the billboard, another figure emerged. He was clad in futuristic armor and a sleek helmet, his posture radiating menace.
"If you won't join us," the armored figure declared, his voice cold and cutting, "then you will suffer the same fate as all the other Tennysons who refused us."
"That's Vilgax?" Gwen asked, instinctively stepping closer to the group.
"No," No-Watch Ben replied grimly, his eyes narrowing. "That's Eon. Technically, it's me. I mean, another evil version of me."
"Does this time travel ever give you a headache?" Ben muttered, rubbing his temple.
"Totally," No-Watch Ben agreed.
"I think it's cool," Ben said, grinning.
Both No-Watch Ben and Gwen gave him a look. "I mean... you know... that's literally me, like, another version of me! It's like looking in a mirror, but next-level."
"Yeah, I get it," No-Watch Ben said, shaking his head.
Without warning, Eon fired a massive laser beam at Eye Guy.
"I thought you'd be more willing," Eon said mockingly, advancing on his target.
Eye Guy barely managed to dodge, retaliating by firing multiple beams from his many eyes. "Peekaboo, evil dude!"
Eon sidestepped gracefully. "You can't surprise me, Ben. I know you better than you realize."
"Everybody knows me," Eye Guy quipped, grinning. "I've got billboards!"
Eon, clearly unimpressed, fired another, larger blast. The explosion sent debris flying everywhere, cloaking the battlefield in smoke and dust.
"No-Watch Ben!" Gwen shouted. "Now!"
Slamming her hand on her Omnitrix, Gwen transformed into Diamondhead. Crystal shards gleamed along her body as she emerged from the smoke, sending a barrage of shards straight at Eon.
Eon stumbled back, his armor dented from the attack. "Perhaps I underestimated this Ben," he muttered.
---
Meanwhile, No-Watch Ben and Ben-without-an-Omnitrix darted toward Eye Guy, who was still recovering.
"Ben?" Eye Guy asked, blinking in confusion as he looked at the two approaching figures. "Wait... Bens? There are two of you?"
"Yeah, but—"
"We're not the Ben you know," No-Watch Ben interrupted, raising a hand.
Dragging him toward the cover of a nearby building, No-Watch Ben quickly explained, "Okay, listen. I'm the Ben without an Omnitrix. This isn't my Omnitrix—it's his. I'm just wearing it while I gather the Bens together."
Eye Guy squinted at him, clearly unconvinced. "Did you get whacked on the head or something?"
"Yeah, did you get whacked on the head?" Ben-without-an-Omnitrix echoed, smirking.
"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" No-Watch Ben shot back, frowning. "I mean, I did, but still!"
Suddenly, a loud crash drew their attention. Diamondhead was sent flying into a nearby building, leaving a cloud of rubble in her wake.
"Gwen!" both Bens shouted in unison, rushing toward her.
---
Up above, Eye Guy—now transformed into Stinkfly—took to the skies, launching sticky slime balls at Eon.
"Big Bug's on the job!" he called out cheerfully.
Eon dodged the attacks, his patience clearly wearing thin. "There must be easier Bens to persuade," he muttered. Opening a swirling purple portal, he stepped through and vanished.
---
The group reconvened, helping Gwen out of the rubble.
Ben 23—still in his Stinkfly form—landed nearby, looking at the group. "Thanks for the assist! That guy's intense. What's his deal, anyway?"
"He's trying to wipe out every Ben from every universe," No-Watch Ben explained. "We're gathering allies to stop him. Can we count on you?"
Ben 23 hesitated, pulling out his phone. "Well, I do have a fan meeting tomorrow..."
"If you don't help, there might not be a tomorrow," Gwen said firmly.
"Or a today," Ben-without-an-Omnitrix added.
Sighing, Ben 23 typed something quickly into his phone. "Okay, fine. I'm in."
"Great," No-Watch Ben muttered under his breath. "This one's a doofus."
Professor Paradox opened another portal, ushering them through.
---
The next portal opened into a room filled with gold, jewels, and priceless artifacts. The group barely had time to react before a familiar figure emerged—a big rat-like man wearing a gold-plated Omnitrix.
"Even this guy has an Omnitrix?" Ben-without-an-Omnitrix thought, groaning internally.
"Yeah, no," No-Watch Ben said, shaking his head. "Let's go."
The portal shimmered again, leading them to the gates of a futuristic building.
"Where are we now?" No-Watch Ben asked, looking around.
"This is the Galactic Headquarters of Ben 10,000," Professor Paradox answered.
Both Ben 23 and Ben-without-an-Omnitrix looked at each other, grinning. "Cool."
Inside, they saw a familiar yet older man working on a console, his focused expression radiating authority.