Chapter 7

A week goes by since the fire rescue. Ben races down the highway, a blur of scenery whipping past him. He's not in his Ferrari this time. He is on the back of what looks like a blue velociraptor. This is SK8, one of his aliens, a Kineceleran.

SK8 has blue skin with black markings around her face. She has a long tail with black and blue striped markings. Two wheels on her feet serve as the source of her extreme velocity. A black visor with pink markings rests above her face. Her black, form-fitting bodysuit has short sleeves and a white stripe down the center that extends into a turtleneck.

Kinecelerans are built for speed. Their physiology lets them manipulate friction, allowing them to reach speeds over 500 miles per hour. They can speed up so much that time seems to stop, letting them manipulate objects mid-motion.

SK8 screeches to a halt, her wheels kicking up dust. "What's my time, Ben?"

Ben stops the stopwatch on his phone. "Improved by half a second! Good job, SK8."

SK8 grins, her black lips stretching wide. "YES! I'm getting faster!"

In the past week, Ben has been training with his aliens. He's met them and gotten to know their personalities. Wildgirl is playful and loves head pats. Diamondheart is stoic and fiercely protective. Heartblast loves excitement. Greymatter, despite her size, is a genius. Ben plans to become a hero. It's important he builds a relationship with his aliens, trusting them and understanding their abilities.

But there's one alien he hasn't summoned. An alien he avoids. The silhouette on the Omnitrix is unmistakable: Ghost Freak. He remembers the original Ben 10 series. Ghost Freak was the High Ectonurite, Zs'Skayr, a tyrant who ruled his planet. Ben doesn't want to know if Zs'Skayr is also in his Omnitrix, nor does he want to awaken him—or maybe it is a her now.

"Okay, SK8, let's try that vortex trick again," Ben says, pushing the thought of Ghost Freak aside. "This time, I want you to create a water vortex. Can you do that?"

SK8's visor snaps down, a pink glow illuminating her face. "Water vortex? You got it, Kid!" She's gone, a streak of blue lightning tearing through the air.

[WHOOSH]

A few hours later, Ben and SK8 walk through the front door. "We're home, Mom!"

Sandra approaches, her brow smoothing. "How did training go?"

"Great!" Ben says. "SK8's getting faster, and her vortexes are getting bigger."

Sandra smiles. "I'm glad you're having fun, but don't overdo it. Remember, your cousin Gwendolyn and Grandpa Maxwell are coming for lunch tomorrow."

Ben perks up. Gwen. He has memories of her, but they feel distant. He knows she is his cousin and they grew up together. This reality's Ben hasn't seen her in years. From the Ben 10 series, Gwen was intelligent, a skilled fighter, and eventually a magic user. What is she like here? He is eager to find out.

"And Max too," Ben says, a grin spreading across his face. "I can't wait." Ben always looked up to his grandpa. He was the rock of this family. He was also a mentor figure to Ben and taught him how to handle things. He has fond recollections of them spending time together.

"I understand," Sandra replies. "Now, you and SK8 go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready soon."

Ben nods. "Got it, Mom."

"Aye, aye, Sammie!"

"It's Sandra, SK8."

"Oops, sorry, Samantha."

Ben heads up the stairs, SK8 trailing close behind. Inside his room, the king-sized bed dominates the space. A large TV and gaming console sit against one wall. "I need to talk to Greymatter. I'll see you again next time," he says, turning to SK8.

"Gotcha, Ben!"

During the past week, Ben has been experimenting with the Omnitrix. He is learning its ins and outs. Unlike the device in the show, which transforms the user for ten minutes, Ben's can summon his aliens, and they can stay for as long as he wants. There's a five-minute cooldown to summon a different alien. And, frustratingly, Ben can only summon one at a time.

Ben glances at the Omnitrix. He presses the faceplate, cycling through the silhouettes. He stops at Greymatter's icon, a small, heart-shaped head. He presses down, and a pink light engulfs SK8. The blue Kineceleran disappears. In her place stands the small Galvan.

Greymatter is a petite, grey-skinned alien with a heart-shaped head. Her big green eyes feature black, horizontal rectangular pupils. Two short, hairlike tendrils protrude from her head. She wears a long-sleeved black and white jumpsuit.

"What do you want now, Earthling?" Greymatter says, her voice sharp.

"What's the progress on the thing I asked you to work on?" Ben asks, trying to sound casual.

Greymatter rolls her eyes, the horizontal pupils scanning Ben with annoyance. "It's not finished yet. I would have completed it by now if you allowed me to dedicate sufficient processing power to the task. But no, you have been busy summoning the other aliens, leaving me little time to work."

Ben winces. "I'm sorry, Greymatter. I had to talk to them. It's important. I hope you understand."

Greymatter huffs, her small frame radiating displeasure. She turns and stomps—well, as much as a being that size can stomp—towards a table cluttered with technology. Most of it is unfamiliar to Ben, alien devices and spare parts cobbled together. It's the project he tasked Greymatter with, a plan he hopes will help him become a better hero.

Ben looks at all the tech and feels like he is missing something. He can't understand what each piece of tech is. It is way beyond his knowledge of Earthling tech. He needs to let Greymatter cook and make the thing he wants. He just needs to remember what he asked her to do.

[FLASHBACK]

A week ago, just after he had saved the child from the burning building, Ben summoned the tiny Galvan.

"Hey, Greymatter," Ben says, trying for a friendly tone.

"Speak, Human," she replies, already fiddling with a stray circuit board.

"I need a favor," Ben begins, unsure how to approach the subject.

Greymatter pauses, her green eyes fixating on him. "And why should I, with my vastly superior intellect, deign to assist you, an Earthling?"

Ben runs a hand through his blond hair, a nervous habit. "Look, I know I don't know what I'm doing, but you're the smartest person—uh, alien—I know. Just give me a chance, okay?"

"A chance for what, Human?"

"I want to know if you can, like, hack into the Omnitrix," Ben blurts out.

Greymatter's eyes widened, a spark of something that might have been interest igniting within them. "Hack into the device? Interesting."

Ben is banking on the Galvan's intellect and curiosity. He figures she is his best shot at getting master control. He thought about more than one alien at his disposal, ready for combat. He thought about being able to switch from alien to alien with no cooldown time. This would boost his combat strength tenfold.

"I can try," Greymatter states, a smirk playing on her lips.

Ben brightens up. "Really? You think you can do it?"

Greymatter grabs Ben's wrist, pulling the Omnitrix closer for examination. "The tech is unlike anything I've seen. It's complex." She spent the next several hours analyzing the device. Ben watched as the small Galvan tinkered with various tools, her tiny hands moving with impressive speed and precision. She muttered to herself, strings of equations and technical jargon filling the room.

After what felt like an eternity, Greymatter sighs, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I can't."

Ben's face falls. "You can't?"

"Even for me, this is too difficult. The protections are insane! I made countless tries and failed. I kept trying, but I gave up. It has layers upon layers of encryption and failsafe protocols that even I struggle to comprehend," Greymatter explains, frustration evident in her voice. "The creator of this device was clearly a genius, on par with my race."

Ben is deflated. He knows he wants to unlock all the powers he can with the Omnitrix. He wants to become the best hero he can be, and that would mean using all the options available.

"If I continue to hack forcefully, I might trigger something... dangerous. I suggest we stop before I accidentally destroy it."

Ben understands. He is disappointed, but not entirely surprised. The Omnitrix was created by Azmuth after all. The smartest being in five galaxies must have put safety precautions on the Omnitrix. It makes sense the device would have so many failsafe protocols.

Ben remembers a detail from the cartoon. In the future, Kenny Tennyson, Ben 10,000's son, hacked the Omnitrix. That Omnitrix, made by Ben himself, not Azmuth, lacked those protections. It was much easier to bypass the firewalls and protocols.

"Maybe there is another way to get what I want," Ben muses, thinking aloud. He might need Azmuth's help if he wants to unlock the full potential of the device. That would be a long shot, but who knows what is in store for him. He is in the Marvel universe. Anything is possible.

"Okay, okay. No problem. Thanks for trying, Greymatter," Ben says, forcing a smile. "I appreciate it."

"Actually," Ben adds, a new idea popping into his head. "Can you make me something else?"

Greymatter raises an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "And what would that be, Human? Another impossible request?"

"I want you to make me a suit," Ben declares, puffing out his chest slightly. "Like Iron Man. You know, something that can protect me."

Greymatter scoffs. "A suit? Why would you need a suit?"

"I've decided I'm going to be a hero, Greymatter," Ben explains, his voice filled with newfound conviction. "I can summon all these aliens, but they can't be guarding me all the time. I need to protect myself too. I am not some super soldier. I'm just a normal guy with a strange watch."

Greymatter studies him, her horizontal pupils blinking slowly. "I see." She pauses, tapping a finger against her chin. "It is true. The transformations provide defense, but you are fragile in your base form. If you die, what becomes of me? That would be troublesome."

Ben is relieved she is considering it. "Exactly! So, what do you think? Can you do it?"

"Give me thought, Human," she says, turning back to her work station. "This is not an easy request. I can not conjure a suit out of thin air. I will need resources. Materials. And time."

"No problem," Ben assures her. "I can get you whatever you need. I am rich now."

Greymatter sighs. "I know you're loaded, Human. I shall begin the planning phase. You need a suit. Very well. Perhaps it is for the best. It will be more difficult if you are suddenly terminated. Now leave me be, Human. I have work to do."

[END FLASHBACK]

Ben watches her resume work, tiny hands darting among the circuits and wires. It still boggles his mind how she understands any of it. He might be a billionaire, but her brainpower is something he can't buy.

After a minute, Greymatter swivels around, her large eyes narrowed. "Stop staring, Human! I can't focus with you looming over me. Shoo! Be gone!"

Ben raises his hands in surrender. Even though she's egocentric and a pain in the butt, Ben appreciates her intellect. He sees her as a valuable ally. She's also not as prickly as when they first met. Maybe she likes him, just a little.

"Alright, alright," he says with a shrug. "Just wanted to check in. Keep up the good work. I know you can do it."

He gives her a thumbs-up and heads out the door, a small smile playing on his lips. He might not be able to unlock the Omnitrix's full potential, but he's one step closer to becoming the hero he wants to be. Now, food.

Downstairs, the aroma of roasted chicken fills the air. His stomach rumbles in anticipation.

Upstairs, Greymatter returns to her work.

"Hmph, stupid human."

Despite the words, a slight blush colors her grey cheeks.

***

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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz