Ben 10 — An Omniverse of Choices and Consequences

'Think fast. A fire also started at the beginning of the saga — how did Ben Prime put it out?' Heatblast scanned his surroundings, seeing nothing but fire.

'He used a backfire (a controlled fire to deprive the wildfire of oxygen and stop it). But…' Ben Prime had relied on his grandfather's guidance to strategically place his flames. Here, the fire had spread further, and this Ben wasn't certain if the prime universe's absurd physics even applied here — he might just make everything worse.

He paused, somehow sensing he had about twenty minutes before the Omnitrix timed out — twenty minutes to fix the fire he had inadvertently started. A moment of thoughtful consideration passed, and then a confident smile spread across his face — or at least, the expression that passed for a smile on his rocky, volcanic visage. The only noticeable difference was his lava-filled mouth, which opened slightly more.

'I have a foolproof plan.' His gaze dropped to the Omnitrix dial ( 〉〈 ) visible on his burning, rock-covered torso.

'So, I just need to press it while thinking if I want to switch aliens or turn back into a human?' He slammed his burning hand onto the dial. A green light engulfed the area.

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Gwen Tennyson knew she wasn't having a good day. She had just found out yesterday that she would be going on a road trip with her grandfather, Max, and her cousin, Ben. No amount of pleading could change her parents' minds; their decision was final.

She had nothing against her grandfather, really, but sacrificing her entire summer break — one she'd been looking forward to for obviously almost a year… wasn't going to make her happy.

As for Ben, while she didn't hate him, she certainly didn't like him either. Being stuck with him in a confined vehicle space was far from appealing. Though surely he wouldn't do anything outrageous in this condition because the same thing applied for him.

They'd barely started their journey, making their first stop at a forest campsite near their home city, Bellwood. From her seat in the Rust Bucket (their RV, motor home for the summer), Gwen noticed flames beginning to spread in the forest. At that exact moment, a mysterious orb of light materialized and entered her head.

'…'

What felt like hours of information passed in an instant, leaving her fundamentally changed. She lifted her hand, watching as it emitted a weak blue glow.

'Definitely not dreaming.' She muttered, then paused.

'How the fuck could Ben be considered as a main character!? And why would I develop romantic feelings toward a nutcase that tried to kill us several times?!' The cursing was uncharacteristic of her, but it was the only way she knew to express her frustration. Something that her parents would be ashamed of.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly calmed down. 'This isn't our future — it's an alternate reality.'

Gwen attempted to manipulate the energy flowing through her, managing only to produce a weak blue glow.

'Great… I'm as useful as a flashlight… assuming it's low in battery.' She slightly chuckled.

'Priority one: figure out my true origins. This saga has too many plot holes, and that assistant insists I work it out myself. Plus, I need to understand magic's actual rules… No, that should actually be my main priority!'

The saga brilliant explanation of magic amounted to it's a plot device. Trying to logic it out was like debating whether soup was a drink or a dish — impossible.

'...Freedom …Control. Do I make a choice… or not?' At the end, she could abstain from making a choice. 'Is freedom even worth it? In the end, the prime universe is just a scripted story, not some hellish reality. If it guarantees the safety of my family, my friends, and the world, then…'

Lost in contemplation, Gwen remained unaware of her Grandfather Max standing behind her, watching her as though she'd transformed into a ghost.

'HOW?! My sons didn't awaken her bloodline, so why did Gwen, and why now?!'

Nothing today had followed Max Tennyson's intended plan. His goal had been simple: leave the past behind and build lasting memories with his grandchildren, one from each of his two sons. He hoped to compensate for lost time with his own children by fostering stronger bonds with their children.

However, things took an unexpected turn. Firstly, he discovered that his granddaughter, Gwen, hadn't volunteered for this trip; it was her mother who had forced her to come along. Max couldn't help but wonder if a meaningful relationship could be forged under such circumstances.

Then there was Ben, his grandson. It was unclear whether Ben truly appreciated his grandfather's presence or simply saw him as a refuge from his slightly overbearing parents.

As Ben left for a stroll in the forest, Max noticed a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, a silent question lingering — was it a mistake to go traveling with him? Despite this, Max longed to forge a deeper bond with his grandson and granddaughter during this trip.

And finally, Max couldn't resist bringing his Rust Bucket instead of a normal motor home for the trip. With the push of a button, this vehicle could transform into something more dangerous than a tank.

How could he throw away his past when he was living with it constantly?

And now he was witnessing magic (or whatever it was called), something he wished to forget like his wife… No, she wasn't his wife since they were never officially married.

He turned his head and looked through the windows, surprised by what he saw.

"There is a wildfire!" He rushed to a compartment in the RV to retrieve two fire extinguishers he kept for emergencies.

Gwen, uncertain about the situation, accepted one of the extinguishers from her grandfather. She knew that beneath his easygoing exterior, he possessed a sharpness that surpassed her parents'. She glanced at the burning forest through the windows, "You don't expect us to put out the entire wildfire, do you?"

"No!" Max replied urgently. "Your cousin Ben went into the forest. We have to find him!" Without another word, he exited the Rust Bucket. "What are you waiting for?!"

"Y-yes!" She followed him. 'Ben isn't in danger since he was the moron who started the fire in the first place… Grandpa doesn't seem to know about the Omniversal war, but there's no doubt Ben is a participant.'

As she helped her grandfather extinguish the fire along their path, Max noticed his granddaughter's lack of full commitment to help. 'Is their relationship really that bad?!'

"BEN!" They both called out the same name repeatedly… Gwen with less enthusiasm.

After several minutes of aimlessly making their way through the forest, Ben appeared walking behind them.

"Where did you come from?!" Max cut Ben off before he could answer. "Forget it; it's irrelevant. Let's go!"

The three hastily retreated from the forest, now in front of the Rust Bucket.

'I noticed an unnatural and roughly made line of barrenness to the east. If this outlines the forest fire, then the fire won't spread further, only consuming everything within it. It's better than nothing, but who did this? This wasn't natural, and… my eyes don't lie; it looks freshly made. Never mind, I have a pressing matter.' Max shifted his attention to his grandson, Ben.

"Did you start the fire?" He asked directly.

After a brief hesitation, Ben answered, "Yes."

Max was stunned, not only by the confession but also by Ben's casual demeanor. "You're not even going to try denying it?"

"...Yeah." Ben scratched his head with the hand wearing the Omnitrix, a seemingly absent-minded gesture.

Suddenly, Max's focus shifted as he noticed the device on Ben's wrist. "Where did you get that watch?" His voice now carried an authoritative weight.

"Let's discuss this inside." Ben didn't elaborate further. They were near parked cars and visitors; while Max and Ben had spoken quietly enough, it would be more practical to talk inside. 'I trust Grandpa; I don't need some series to tell me that.'

He turned his head toward his cousin, Gwen. Nothing was unusual about her expression except annoyance, which was understandable considering the fire and that she had likely been planning to sleep soon instead of trudging through a burning forest with a fire extinguisher.

'Is she a participant or not? Anyway, I need to understand how magic works and its limitations, in case magic users come after me… if magic exists in our universe.'

__________________

A day had passed since the wildfire. The news reported that authorities evacuated and closed the campsite indefinitely while investigating the fire's cause and assessing the damage. Initial reports mentioned concerns about burned debris, including plastic waste from campers, releasing harmful fumes.

'Is it too much to ask for people to dispose of their waste properly?' Ben put his phone back in his pocket. If he had pondered more, he might have noticed that he missed something important… however, it wouldn't be relevant… for now.

Since he told everything to his grandfather, the latter had been driving the RV for hours, heading toward Mt. Rushmore, a journey that would take a few days.

The journey was currently uneventful. Ben turned to his cousin, Gwen, and asked, "Are you sure that—?"

"Are you sick, doofus? I have no idea what you're talking about, so stop asking!" She snapped, not looking up from her laptop.

Ben frowned but let the matter drop. 'Grandpa isn't a participant, and neither is Gwen. For Max, that makes sense; he's extremely experienced but past his prime and doesn't have any powers. But Gwen? Maybe magic doesn't exist here.'

A yawn from the front of the Rust Bucket interrupted his train of thought. Soon after, the vehicle pulled into a parking space.

"It's already one o'clock in the morning. Time for bed — you're old enough to know you should be asleep by now." Max stood up and stretched his arms. 'I wonder why Gwen's keeping quiet with Ben and me. She clearly has magic, but I'll respect her decision.'

About twenty minutes after the lights in the vehicle went out, a shadow slipped outside. Conveniently, there was a forest nearby.

'Time to discover a new transformation.' The sooner he mastered the Omnitrix, the safer he would be… Or so he told himself. In truth, he had become addicted to the device after just two transformations. It wasn't simply about changing forms; it felt as if he was truly becoming these aliens, as if unlocking parts of himself he never knew were missing. This explained the euphoria he'd experienced when turning into Heatblast and setting the forest ablaze without hesitation.

With a press, the watch's dial popped up. He rotated it until an unfamiliar silhouette appeared — one not present in the Saga. This was his alien number 4. At first glance, it resembled a spider, just as the AI had described.

Though he wasn't afraid of spiders, like any insects, he preferred them not crawling on him, but he ignored his disgust.

'Let's hope his—my power won't be boring old web-throwing, at least not only that.' Ben was practically vibrating with excitement. Just as his right palm was about to meet the watch dial, an iron grip seized his arm, bringing his moment of pure joy to an abrupt halt.

"The second I left my mindscape, I knew I had to find you! The Omnitrix is mine! That's MY destiny! I WILL be the OMNIVERSE HERO!" The voice carried all the subtlety of a lightning strike.

"What the—" The air suddenly filled with the angry buzz of electricity as a taser came into his view.

Before it could reach him, Ben turned his wrist and slammed it against a nearby tree. A brilliant green light engulfed the surroundings.