Chapter 145: Back to the Future
"I really don't have the time to fool around with you right now!"
A massive, crimson fist slammed forward, carrying the force of a freight train. Four Arms followed through with a brutal uppercut, sending the alien thug, Mochana, skidding backward across the cracked pavement. The brute carved a thirty-meter trench into the ground before finally collapsing in a groaning, defeated heap.
"I absolutely cannot miss his birthday party!" Four Arms grunted, rolling his four massive shoulders to shake off the tension. "I'd be incredibly grateful if you'd just obediently hop into the Null Void and serve your time!"
A brilliant flash of emerald light illuminated the alleyway, and the towering Tetramand vanished, leaving a mature, bearded Ben Tennyson in his place.
Ben reached into his utility belt and pulled out a spherical device that looked suspiciously like a monster-catching grenade from a classic video game. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he tossed the Null Void Projector at the downed alien.
The device popped open mid-air, projecting a swirling yellow vortex. Mochana didn't even have time to scream before the gravitational pull sucked him right into the alternate dimension. The projector snapped shut, falling neatly back to the ground.
Ben strolled over, scooping up the device. "Some people just need a good time-out," he muttered, dusting off his jacket.
Without missing a beat, he slapped the Omnitrix dial. Another flash of green, and the feline speedster Fasttrack took his place, instantly blurring into a streak of black and blue as he bolted from the scene.
Meanwhile, inside the sprawling, high-tech sanctuary of the Ben 10,000 Headquarters.
A sudden gust of wind scattered the party streamers as a black-and-blue blur skidded to a halt in the center of the room.
"See? I told you I'd make it back to celebrate your birthday," a voice announced.
A flash of green light washed over the room, and Fasttrack reverted back into the older Ben.
The headquarters was currently decorated for a massive celebration. Aside from Ben, a few familiar faces were gathered around a large cake. An older, slightly more weathered Grandpa Max stood near the table, smiling warmly, surrounded by a handful of cheering children.
The star of the day was Ben's son, Kenny Tennyson.
With his messy brown hair and eager expression, Kenny looked like a carbon copy of a ten-year-old Ben, though he sported a slightly darker complexion.
Seeing his father materialize, Kenny's eyes lit up like fireworks. He practically launched himself across the room, wrapping his arms around Ben's waist. "Thanks, Dad!"
Ben's hardened features softened instantly. He ruffled his son's hair with a gentle smile. "A tenth birthday only happens once, kiddo. Happy birthday, Kenny."
Kenny's friends—a human girl and two exotic alien children—cheered, offering their excited birthday wishes.
Ben gently detached himself from his son and walked over to Grandpa Max, casually handing over the Null Void Projector. "Do me a favor and process him into the Null Void, Grandpa."
Max chuckled, taking the device with a nod. "On it," he said, turning and heading toward the containment wing.
With his father back, Kenny immediately puffed out his chest, turning back to his friends to resume his grand tour of the headquarters.
"And this right here is my dad's main alarm console!" Kenny boasted, gesturing wildly at a massive holographic terminal. "Whenever something goes wrong in the galaxy, this baby goes off, and he rushes out to save the world and all that cool stuff."
His tone carried that distinct, exaggerated pride of a child showing off his superhero father. The other kids gasped right on cue, their eyes wide with awe.
"Kenny Tennyson, you are so lucky. Your dad is the coolest," one of the alien kids chimed in.
"He really is," a clear, pleasant voice suddenly echoed from behind Kenny.
Kenny spun around, his eyes widening in pure delight. "Aunt Gwendolyn!"
A shimmering, life-sized virtual projection of an older, elegant Gwendolyn materialized in the center of the room.
"She's my big Dork of a cousin," Ben teased, walking up beside his son. "You should technically be calling her your cousin-aunt."
Hearing Ben's usual jab, Gwendolyn's hologram crossed her arms, shooting him a thoroughly unamused glare. "When are you ever going to grow up, Dweeb?"
Dismissing him, Gwendolyn softened her gaze as she looked down at Kenny. "I am so sorry I couldn't make it to the party in person, sweetie. I'm currently stuck on Anodyne, tracking down this absolutely hateful Nahuato Diba Bloody Red Demon Dragon."
Hearing the excuse, Kenny's shoulders slumped, his excitement deflating into visible disappointment.
Seeing his crestfallen expression, Gwendolyn's phantom smiled warmly. She raised her right hand, her fingers glowing with a brilliant, swirling blue mana. "But don't worry. You definitely won't be short on birthday presents today."
Right in front of her projected hand, a complex magical crest sketched itself into the empty air. A second later, a small, beautifully crafted magical stone statue leaped out of the portal. The moment it hit the floor, the stone pet sprang to life, bounding over to Kenny and nuzzling against his leg with an affectionate chirp.
Kenny's disappointment vanished instantly. He dropped to his knees, bursting into joyful laughter as he wrestled playfully with the magical creature.
"Ben, we're here!"
Suddenly, a blinding flash of azure light erupted in the middle of the room.
When the light faded, a bizarre alien form named Dot stood there, flanked by a ten-year-old Ben and a ten-year-old Gwen.
"How did you guys get here?!" Older Ben and Gwendolyn's hologram blurted out simultaneously, staring at the trio in utter shock.
Dot blinked, looking around the decorated room. "Well, it all started yesterday, I... wait. Is this a birthday party? Are those presents?" The alien paused, already turning back around. "Never mind. We'll come back tomorrow."
Dot grabbed young Ben and Gwen by the collars, fully prepared to teleport right back out.
"Wait, hold on! Since you're already here, just stay!" Older Ben quickly stepped forward, waving his hands to stop them. A genuine grin broke across his face. He hadn't seen Klein and his past self in years, and despite the chaotic nature of their visits, he actually missed them quite a bit.
"Ah, I wish I could come through and join you all," Gwendolyn's phantom sighed wistfully, watching the reunion. "But duty calls. Next time, I promise."
With a final wave, her magical projection fizzled out, leaving the room to the time-travelers.
Seeing that Gwendolyn was gone, Dot paused. The alien shrugged, deciding not to leave just yet.
A quiet hum of blue light washed over the alien's body, and Dot transformed back into Klein. The older, perpetually relaxed teenager stretched his neck, looking completely unfazed by the futuristic surroundings.
Kenny, who had been playing with his stone pet, finally looked up. He stared at the sudden intruders, his eyes locking onto the ten-year-old Ben. "Wait a minute... that kid has an Omnitrix too?!"
"So disrespectful," Klein tutted, shaking his head. He reached out, grabbed young Ben by the shoulders, and shoved him directly in front of Kenny. "Show some manners, kid. This is your dad!"
"Are you kidding me?!" Kenny shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at the boy. "He looks the exact same age as me!"
Young Ben just stared back, equally bewildered. "..."
"Uh... Kenny," Older Ben rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. "Actually, he really is your dad."
Kenny's brain short-circuited. He looked at young Ben, then back at Older Ben. "He's my dad?! Then who are you?!"
The ten-year-old boy felt like his entire reality was a massive scam. Even his own father was being swapped out on his birthday.
Young Ben crossed his arms, deciding to lean into the chaos. "I'm also your dad."
Kenny fell dead silent. He stared at the floor for a long, agonizing moment before slowly looking up. "You mean... I have two dads?"
"No! No, actually, he is me. Just... the past version of me," Older Ben hurriedly intervened, realizing he needed to explain the mechanics of time travel before his son had a complete existential meltdown.
While Older Ben gave his son a crash course in temporal mechanics, Klein casually explained the real reason for their sudden intrusion.
To sum it up: Klein had primarily brought young Gwen to the future to find Gwendolyn. Young Ben had just shamelessly tagged along for the ride.
Watching Kenny's expression grow increasingly strained from the time-travel lecture, Older Ben decided it was time to deploy the ultimate distraction. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the special gift he had prepared.
"Kenny, look what this is."
Older Ben knelt down, handing a sleek, spherical container to his son. "Because I got the Omnitrix when I was exactly ten years old... I decided it's time to give this to you."
Kenny took the container with trembling hands. The sphere hissed, automatically sliding open to reveal a brand new, custom-fitted Omnitrix resting inside.
Before Kenny could even react, the device leaped from the case, securely clamping itself onto his left wrist.
"My very own Omnitrix!" Kenny gasped, holding his arm up to the light. "This is so cool!"
Watching his son marvel at the watch, Older Ben felt a sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion wash over him. He wasn't entirely sure why he was getting so choked up, but seeing the legacy pass down hit him right in the chest.
"Which of your ten thousand alien heroes should I transform into first?!" Kenny practically vibrated with excitement, his fingers hovering over the dial.
"Ah, no. You only have ten unlocked," Older Ben corrected gently.
"What?!" Kenny's face fell. "...Alright, fine. Then I want..."
"No, you don't get to choose the playlist either," Older Ben interrupted, crossing his arms with a knowing smirk. "I've already picked the ten safest ones for you."
Kenny groaned, his grand superhero fantasies instantly nerfed. "...Can you at least leave me Grey Matter?"
Older Ben chuckled. "That's possible."
Right at that moment, the headquarters' primary alarm system began blaring, flashing red warning lights across the room.
Older Ben's expression hardened into his professional hero face. He looked down at his son with a hint of regret. "Sorry, Kenny. I have to go."
"No way," Kenny grinned, slamming his hand down on his new Omnitrix. A flash of green light engulfed him, and a smaller, slightly clumsier version of Fasttrack stood in his place. "We have to go."
He was already bouncing on his heels, wildly impatient to test out his new powers.
Older Ben smiled proudly, then glanced over at Klein. "Do you guys want to come along?"
"No, pass. Gwen and I still have things to do," Klein replied, shaking his head slightly. He glanced down at young Gwen, confirming their prior agreement. "Just let your younger self tag along with you."
Klein's main objective for this temporal road trip was simple: find the future Gwendolyn and force her to teach young Gwen magic.
After all, they had completely pissed off Verdona the last time they saw her, so asking Grandma for help was out of the question. Capturing random Anodites felt like too much work, and Klein absolutely refused to owe Charmcaster a favor. So, the most logical, pragmatic solution was to just bother the future version of Gwen.
Now that he knew Gwendolyn wasn't on Earth, he would have to take young Gwen straight to Anodyne to track her down. Leaving young Ben here to play superhero with his older self and his future son was the perfect way to keep the kid out of their hair.
"Alright, suit yourself," Older Ben nodded, not pushing the issue. "But... you know the drill. If you need anything, come find me anytime."
With a final wave, Older Ben transformed, and the two generations of heroes—along with an overly excited young Ben—dashed out of the headquarters, following the eager trail of Kenny's Fasttrack.
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