Ben 10: Multiverse
Chapter 2: Back to Bellwood
Ben and Spider-Man tumbled out of the swirling portal and landed hard on the pavement. Ben groaned, brushing dirt off his jacket. "I swear, these portals have no respect for my landing preferences."
Spider-Man rolled to his feet, stretching his back. "Yeah, because comfort is so high on the interdimensional travel checklist." He glanced around at their new surroundings. "Wait a second… are we back on your turf?"
Ben stood up and surveyed the area. The familiar sight of Bellwood greeted him—suburban streets, the sound of distant car alarms, and a faint hum of energy in the air. "Home sweet home! Told you my tech was better than your spider-senses."
"I'll give you that one," Spider-Man muttered, brushing himself off. "But where's our welcoming committee? Shouldn't there be a marching band or something?"
As if on cue, the ground trembled, and a loud, guttural roar echoed through the streets. From around the corner, Vilgax emerged, his hulking frame towering over everything in sight. His crimson eyes glowed with malice.
"Oh great," Spider-Man said, instinctively leaping onto a nearby lamppost. "Who's the angry squid guy? Does he work for a seafood restaurant or something?"
"That's Vilgax," Ben said, his tone suddenly serious. "He's the intergalactic warlord who's been trying to steal my Omnitrix since forever."
Vilgax snarled, pointing a massive clawed hand at Ben. "You've escaped me for the last time, Tennyson! Surrender the Omnitrix, or I will destroy this planet to take it!"
Ben rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, same speech every time. You ever think about hiring a writer?" He smacked the Omnitrix and transformed into Heatblast, flames licking off his fiery body. "Spidey, you in? Or are you gonna sit this one out?"
Spider-Man flipped down beside him, cracking his knuckles. "What, and miss the chance to roast calamari? I'm in."
Vilgax roared, charging at them with surprising speed for someone his size. Heatblast unleashed a torrent of fire, forcing Vilgax to shield himself, while Spider-Man zipped around, webbing up his legs.
"Is this guy always this grumpy?" Spider-Man quipped, dodging a swing from Vilgax.
"Pretty much. He's like a bad ex—he just can't let go," Heatblast replied, launching a fireball that exploded against Vilgax's chest.
The battle raged on, but just as they seemed to gain the upper hand, Vilgax activated another device strapped to his arm. The air shimmered as another portal began to form.
"Not again!" Spider-Man groaned, trying to web the device, but it was too late.
The portal expanded, sucking them all in.
Welcome to Gotham
The trio landed in a dark, rain-soaked alley. The city was oppressive, its towering skyscrapers casting long shadows across the streets. Neon signs flickered, and distant sirens wailed.
Ben and Spider-Man hit the ground hard as the portal spat them out. They groaned, picking themselves up from a cracked sidewalk in Bellwood.
"Ugh," Spider-Man muttered, brushing dirt off his suit. "You really need to fix the in-flight service on these portals."
Ben looked around and immediately recognized the streets. "Wait… we're back! This is my world!"
"Bellwood, right?" Spider-Man asked, straightening up. "Looks a bit less gloomy than where I'm from. But, uh, is it always this… quiet?"
The stillness was unsettling. A few parked cars lined the streets, but there wasn't a single person in sight. It was as if the entire neighborhood had emptied out.
"Yeah, this is weird," Ben admitted, his voice uneasy. He tapped the Omnitrix. "My world's usually a lot livelier. Maybe Vilgax scared everyone off?"
Spider-Man perched on a lamppost, scanning the horizon. "Speaking of Squidhead, where'd he go? Didn't he get sucked into the portal with us?"
Ben scratched his head. "Huh. Guess he didn't make it. Honestly, good riddance. Dude's been ruining my day enough already."
Just then, Spider-Man's senses flared. His head snapped toward the shadows of a nearby alley. "We're not alone," he whispered.
Before Ben could react, something black and fast streaked toward them. A grappling hook wrapped around Ben's wrist, yanking him off his feet.
"Whoa! What the—?!" Ben shouted, slamming into the pavement.
Out of the shadows emerged a figure draped in a flowing black cape. His silhouette was menacing, his presence suffocating. The faint glow of his white eyes cut through the dark as he stalked toward them.
Spider-Man immediately dropped into a defensive stance. "Okay… uh, who invited the creepy cosplayer?"
The figure didn't respond. Instead, his gravelly voice cut through the air like a knife. "You don't belong here."
Ben struggled against the grappling hook, his wrist still bound. "Hey! I live here! Who do you think you are, Batman or something?"
Spider-Man tilted his head. "Wait, 'Batman'? Is this guy, like, an actual bat? Should I be worried about rabies?"
The figure's expression didn't change, but his movements were swift and deliberate. With a flick of his wrist, he threw a smoke pellet, engulfing the area in a thick cloud.
"Aw, come on!" Ben coughed, tapping the Omnitrix. "Fine, if this guy wants a fight, I'll give him one!"
In a flash of green, Ben transformed into Four Arms, his towering, red-skinned form smashing the grappling hook to pieces. "Alright, mystery man. Let's see what you've got!"
From the shadows, Batman emerged again, striking Four Arms with a powerful roundhouse kick that sent him stumbling back.
"Whoa!" Spider-Man leaped in to intervene, firing webs at Batman to slow him down. "Hey, buddy! We're not the bad guys here!"
Batman effortlessly dodged the webs, his movements precise and calculated. He threw another gadget—a small EMP device—that exploded near Ben's Omnitrix, causing it to spark wildly.
"Hey! Watch it!" Ben growled, reverting to his human form as the Omnitrix temporarily shorted out.
Spider-Man landed between them, holding his hands up. "Okay, timeout! Let's all just take a breath and stop trying to kill each other for, like, five seconds."
Batman's piercing gaze settled on Spider-Man. "Who are you?"
"I'm Spider-Man," he said, gesturing to himself. "Friendly neighborhood wall-crawler, part-time alien portal survivor."
"And him?" Batman motioned toward Ben, who was rubbing his wrist where the grappling hook had grabbed him.
"Ben Tennyson," Ben answered with a glare. "This is my planet. What are you doing here, Bat-dude?"
Batman ignored the question, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the Omnitrix. "That device on your wrist—it's dangerous. Where did you get it?"
Ben rolled his eyes. "Ugh, not this again. Why does everyone I meet think they can just take my stuff? It's called the Omnitrix, and it's not dangerous unless you're a bad guy."
"You have no idea what kind of power you're dealing with," Batman said coldly. "If you can't control it, you're a threat."
"Control it?" Ben scoffed. "I've been using this thing to save the world since I was ten! What have you done lately, besides cosplay as a vampire?"
Spider-Man winced. "Uh, Ben? Maybe tone it down. This guy doesn't look like he has a sense of humor."
Batman's silence was unnerving. Suddenly, he moved, faster than either of them expected. He grabbed Ben by the arm, pinning him to the wall with a strength that didn't match his lean frame.
"Hey!" Ben shouted, struggling. "Let me go!"
Spider-Man fired a web, yanking Batman's arm back just enough for Ben to slip free. "Alright, that's enough! Look, Bats, we don't want any trouble. We're just trying to get back to normal."
Batman's voice was low and icy. "You're lying. People don't just show up in my city through portals. What are you really here for?"
Ben rubbed his wrist, glaring. "I told you, I'm from this world. I got sucked into some weird portal, ended up in his world—" he pointed to Spider-Man, "—and now I'm just trying to clean up the mess!"
Batman's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He stepped back slightly, still keeping his guard up. "Portal technology isn't common, even among advanced civilizations. Who sent you?"
"Does a squid-faced alien warlord ring any bells?" Spider-Man offered, crossing his arms.
Batman remained silent, his mind processing the information. Finally, he spoke. "If what you're saying is true, then you've put this world in danger. Those portals could destabilize reality."
"Yeah, well, tell that to Vilgax!" Ben snapped. "I didn't ask for this!"
Before the argument could continue, the Omnitrix beeped, its green glow intensifying.
"Oh no," Ben muttered, staring at the device.
"What's happening?" Spider-Man asked, stepping closer.
"I think… another portal's opening," Ben said.
Batman's jaw tightened. "Brace yourselves."
The air shimmered, and another portal began to form behind them. The swirling energy pulled at their surroundings, and this time, there was no time to react.