Coming into the room, the group saw a mature, familiar-looking man working intently on a computer console. His shoulders were broad, his movements efficient, and his expression radiated an aura of reliability. He looked up, sensing their presence, and turned to face them.
"Paradox," he said, nodding briefly before his eyes scanned the group. "Hello, Ben."
His gaze lingered on the different Bens and Gwen gathered together, his lips twitching slightly as if trying to piece together their purpose. Finally, he stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Hmm, let me guess: some kind of cross-time doomsday threat that only wearers of the Omnitrix can solve."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Whoa, I guess this Ben had a brain transplant."
All the Bens, in perfect unison, retorted, "Hmph. Dweeb."
Ben-without-an-Omnitrix raised his hand slightly, looking sheepish. "Hey, but I don't have an Omnitrix."
Ben 10,000's eyebrows shot up in surprise. His eyes flicked to Ben's wrist, then narrowed as he shifted his gaze to Professor Paradox, suspicion clear in his expression. After a long pause, he said, "Let's fix that. You can have my old one."
Professor Paradox's lips twitched as though holding back a smile, but he stayed silent.
Ben 10,000 had known Paradox long enough to recognize subtle cues. He understood that, even without explicit explanation, this was no casual offer.
"Really?" Ben asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Yeah," Ben 10,000 replied with a casual shrug. "It's just sitting here, doing nothing. Besides, if it's the case I think it is, then you'll need it."
Without waiting for further questions, he turned back to his console and pressed a button. A monitor flickered to life, showing a teenage boy with light hair and a confident smirk.
"Kenny, bring me my old Omnitrix," Ben 10,000 instructed.
"On it, Dad," Kenny replied with a quick nod before the monitor blinked off.
Ben 10,000 turned back to the group, reaching for No-Watch Ben's wrist. "In the meantime, let's get started."
He began adjusting the Omnitrix on No-Watch Ben's wrist, dialing through its interface. Then, slamming his hand down on it, he activated the device. In an instant, No-Watch Ben transformed into a bulky, mechanical alien with gears and a toy-like wind-up key sticking out of his head.
"Whoa! Cool! Who's this guy?" Ben-without-an-Omnitrix asked, admiring the new form.
"Clockwork," Ben 10,000 explained. "He's got time powers—speed up, slow down, rewind, fast forward."
Professor Paradox stepped forward, his tone serious. "But because Eon is another version of Ben, he might sense the resulting Sotobro Effect."
"The what effect?" Ben 23 asked, tilting his head.
"The Sotobro Effect," Ben 10,000 elaborated. "It's a sort of temporal ripple that Clockwork creates whenever he uses his powers. It could tip off Eon that we're here."
"Then we better not use it," No-Watch Ben said, transforming back into his human form. "If Eon and Vilgax suspect something, they might change their plans."
"Understood," Ben 10,000 replied curtly.
The door slid open, and Kenny entered the room, carrying a small device that resembled the Omnitrix No-Watch Ben had been wearing. He paused, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the group.
"Alternate versions of my dad? Aunt Gwen? Professor Paradox?" Kenny asked, blinking in surprise. "Okay, that's new."
"Hey," Ben-without-an-Omnitrix greeted, giving him a small wave.
Gwen leaned toward Ben and whispered, "Hearing someone call me Aunt Gwen is... a little weird."
"Yeah, seeing your future son from another dimension is also pretty weird," Ben muttered back.
Kenny handed the Omnitrix to his father, who walked over to Ben-without-an-Omnitrix. "Give me your hand," Ben 10,000 instructed.
Ben hesitated but held out his left wrist. Ben 10,000 secured the Omnitrix in place.
"You can have it for now," he said. "Whenever you transform into an alien, the alien's powers and abilities will automatically appear in your mind."
"Cool," Ben said, examining the device on his wrist.
"Did you take those martial arts classes?" Ben 10,000 asked suddenly.
"Yeah," Ben replied, looking confused.
"Good. They'll come in handy."
Kenny looked at his father, surprised. "Wait, Dad, are we training in some arenas?"
Ben 10,000 glanced at Kenny. "Not yet."
Professor Paradox stepped forward, creating another swirling portal. "Time to go," he said.
---
They stepped into a new dimension. The room they entered was cluttered with Sumo Slammer toys, posters, and memorabilia, looking like the lair of a die-hard fan. A teenage boy wearing a black T-shirt with green stripes sat on the floor, playing video games.
Yawning, the boy barely looked up as the portal opened. But when he saw the group, he grinned. "I'm in," he said simply, tossing his controller aside and stepping into the portal without hesitation.
---
In a dark void, seven figures floated together:
Ben 10,000
Ben 23
Ben Prime
No-Watch Ben
Gwen 10
Ben X
Professor Paradox
Ben 10,000 began speaking in a calm yet commanding tone. "Listen, Bens—" He glanced at Gwen, smirking. "And Stink-Eye. Don't let the bad guys' familiar faces throw you off. That's exactly what Vilgax is counting on."
Prime Ben crossed his arms. "These Bens are too weak-willed. That's why Vilgax can control them."
No-Watch Ben frowned. "What's Plan B if this fails?"
"There is no Plan B," Professor Paradox said gravely. "If this fails, the entire multiverse is doomed."
Ben X clenched his fists. "Damn. Then we better do it right."
"I call movie rights," Ben 23 quipped with a grin.
A portal opened, and the group split up, leaving No-Watch Ben behind as six figures disappeared into the swirling light.
---
Three figures—Ben Prime, Ben X, and Professor Paradox—stepped into an alley in another dimension.
Ben Prime turned to Paradox. "Where are the others?"
"They'll join us shortly," Paradox replied. "But first, you two need to find him."
"Who?" Ben X asked, frowning.
"This dimension's Ben Tennyson," Paradox explained. "If I'm right, they'll come for him. Your job is to safeguard him until the mastermind shows up."
"Where do we find him?" Ben Prime asked.
Paradox glanced at his wrist device. "Right now, he's at Mr. Smoothy with his friends. Get to him before they do."
"And where do we find you?" Ben X asked.
"Los Soledad Military Base," Paradox said, opening another portal. "Meet me there."
With that, he stepped into the portal and disappeared.