In Ben 10, chaos was nothing new—there was always a chase, a shootout, or an explosion somewhere.
Today was no different.
On a busy downtown street, sirens wailed as police cars pursued a stolen truck.
The criminals behind the wheel smashed through traffic barriers, narrowly avoiding capture.
"Ha! We're rich, boys!"
The driver cackled madly as he sped through an intersection.
"Yeah?"
A blur of blue lightning suddenly appeared in the passenger seat. It was XLR8—and he turned his head with a grin.
"Tom, since when did your voice sound so weird? Wait—my hair!!"
Before the driver could react, XLR8 kicked him out of the truck, bringing it to a screeching halt.
The criminal stumbled to his feet, pulling a pistol in panic—
Fwoosh!
A small fireball flew by, melting the gun instantly.
"Don't mess around," said a soft voice.
A slender, fiery woman descended gracefully, standing on a swirling cloud of flame.
Her eyes curved into a smile, "I helped Ben take down the robbers. Ethen will definitely praise me!"
"Hey, Heatblast Girl, let's check what's inside this truck!" XLR8 said excitedly.
He flung open the back doors—revealing hundreds of boxes of ice cream.
A familiar old Rustbucket rolled up behind them.
Ethen stepped out, frowning. "What's taking you two so long?"
"Mmfff…"
Heatblast Girl raised her head and—before Ethen could react—pressed her fiery lips against his in a deep kiss!
Ethen jumped back, blushing. "H-Hey! What are you doing? I've got a mouth ulcer—you can't do that!"
"Wuu…"
She looked pitifully at him, cheeks puffed. "I was trying to give you ice cream! But it melts when I touch it, so I put it in my mouth first! I was going to feed you, Master!"
Ethen twitched a little. "I… don't like ice cream."
Heatblast Girl was definitely the most intense of his alien companions when it came to love.
Wait a second—where was Ben?
Ethen hurriedly opened the back door.
Inside, Ben Tennyson was huddled in a corner, shivering with a blanket wrapped around him.
Empty ice cream boxes were piled high around him.
He had caught a cold—from eating too much ice cream.
Ethen sighed, picked Ben up, and loaded him back into the Rustbucket.
Grandpa Max drove them into town, stopping by an herbal medicine shop to pick up a traditional remedy. Soon, the entire van smelled bitter and earthy.
"I've studied a bit of this town medicine," Max said proudly. "After drinking this, Ben's cold will be gone in no time."
Ben pinched his nose, grimacing. "Ugh… I hope so."
Unable to handle the smell, Ethen stepped out for some fresh air and decided to take a short walk through town.
The area wasn't big—he reached the end quickly. Just as he turned to head back, a commotion caught his attention.
A congresswoman was giving a speech to a gathered crowd, pointing toward a decrepit apartment building.
"This old building must be demolished—"
She didn't finish.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
A massive swarm of insects burst from the building, darkening the sky.
A disheveled man emerged from the doorway, his eyes wild.
"Don't touch my home!"
At his words, the insects swirled protectively around him like living armor.
The system's mechanical voice rang in Ethen's mind:
Ding! Mission Triggered: "The Bug Monster's Swarm Army"
Objective: Defeat the Bug Monster and his swarm.
Reward: 15 bonus points!
Ethen smirked. "Perfect. Let's test my theory."
The Rustbucket rolled up behind him. Grandpa Max leaned out the window. "Ethen, Ben's too sick for this one—it's all you!"
"Got it," Ethen said, activating the Love Watch on his wrist. A holographic display opened before him.
His partner, the Transformer Girl, appeared with a shy smile.
"Ethen…"
Ethen grinned. "Same deal as always—let's transform!"
"Right!"
She pressed her hand over his watch, and a burst of pink light surrounded him.
Circuits and DNA patterns flowed across his armor until he stood transformed—a futuristic warrior clad in dark green energy plating.
"Is this… Ethen's new battle mode?" Gwen gasped, watching from the van.
Ben and Grandpa Max were both speechless. "That's… awesome."
Ethen's right arm ignited with the power of Heatblast, while his left arm morphed into a laser cannon enhanced by the Transformer Girl's upgrades.
Dual Ability Mode—Fusion Combat!
Ethen had effectively created a mini Fusion Omnitrix!
He soared into the air on jets of flame, facing the swarm.
"Let's light it up!"
He raised his right arm—fire burst forth, engulfing the sky.
His left arm's laser cannon fired into the flame, splitting it into a blazing web of molten light that swept across the swarm.
BOOM!!
The explosion tore through the air, scattering the insects like black rain.
"W-What is he, a Ultraman?!" a bystander shouted.
The Bug Monster growled. "You'll pay for this! Kill him!"
Thousands of insects surged toward Ethen again.
Ethen crossed his arms, smirking. "Big mistake."
FWOOSH!
A pillar of laser-empowered fire erupted around him, forming a swirling inferno that blasted through the entire swarm.
A flaming mushroom cloud bloomed above town.
The insects were vaporized instantly.
"You monster!" the Bug Man screamed, his body mutating—skin tearing, wings sprouting, and eyes multiplying.
He transformed into a grotesque fly creature.
"Perfect," Ethen said coolly. "A monster like you deserves a Ultraman-Special Specium Ray."
He lifted his arm. "Switch—Diamondhead's Power!"
Crystalline energy formed a wall of shining diamonds before him. Ethen leveled his cannon at it.
"Fire!"
The laser blasted through the crystal wall, accelerating it like a railgun projectile.
It pierced through the Bug Monster—turning him into a crimson mist—before crashing into the old apartment, obliterating it completely.
Silence.
The crowd stared, jaws dropped.
Ethen lowered his arms, exhilarated. His fusion theory had worked—he could now combine alien abilities simultaneously!
Soon… he could even face Vilgax head-on.
Ding! Mission Complete.
Reward: 15 points.
As he prepared to leave, fans surrounded him.
"Wait! Handsome Knight, let's take a picture!"
"Ultraman, you're amazing!"
Ethen chuckled awkwardly, posed for a few photos, and then escaped.
By nightfall, the city's headlines were full of his pictures. The press had given him a new name:
"The Ultraman."
That night, Ben went to bed early to rest.
Ethen also turned in—but woke up at midnight, sweating.
"I dreamed… I was fighting Vilgax."
He checked his watch just in time to hear the system's voice again:
Ding! The Love Watch (Initial Version) has reached its limit!
The Love Watch on his wrist disassembled itself, fragments floating in the air.
"Time for a new template," Ethen murmured. "Hopefully, it's a good one."
Ding! You've received the Omnitrix Template—'Comprehensive Evolution Model'!
"This Omnitrix includes advanced master control, self-protection mode, and enhanced DNA sequencing. However, it's… prone to glitches."
Ethen smirked. "So I get to use sixteen-year-old Ben's watch against his ten-year-old nemesis, huh? System, you've got a wicked sense of humor."
He clenched his fist. "Fine. Let's go all out."
Meanwhile, somewhere in deep space…
A massive door hissed open aboard a warship. Steam billowed out as Vilgax emerged from a training chamber, his tone icy calm.
"Prepare the fleet. We're going to Earth."
"Yes, Lord Vilgax," a robotic soldier replied.
Vilgax flexed his claws, eyes gleaming with terrifying resolve.
"That brat… what can he possibly use against me, now that I've surpassed every limit of my species?"