CHAPTER 2 – THE FALLEN HERO
Rain poured endlessly over the empty highway.
Lightning flashed across the dark sky, illuminating the overturned cargo truck that lay on its side like a dying animal. Its metal hull had been torn open, crates scattered across the asphalt.
Groans echoed through the rain.
Alien smugglers slowly crawled across the ground, clutching broken limbs and bruised ribs.
At the center of the wreckage stood a lone figure.
Ben Tennyson.
His hoodie was soaked with rain, dark hair clinging to his forehead. A fresh cut ran across his cheek, and blood mixed with the rainwater dripping down his jaw.
He breathed slowly, steadily.
One of the smugglers—a tall reptilian alien—coughed as he tried to push himself up.
"You…" the alien rasped, staring at Ben with wide eyes. "You're that kid… the hero."
Ben said nothing.
The alien's eyes dropped to Ben's wrist.
It was empty, the green watch that had made his name feared was nowhere to be seen.
"No Omnitrix?" the alien whispered in disbelief.
Ben's gaze hardened.
He stepped forward and grabbed the alien by the collar, lifting him slightly off the ground.
"Where were you taking the weapons?" Ben asked quietly.
The alien hesitated.
Ben tightened his grip.
"I'm not in the mood tonight."
The alien quickly spoke.
"Black market buyers! Off-world! I swear!"
Ben stared at him for a long moment.
Then he dropped him.
The alien collapsed into the rain, gasping.
Ben turned away without another word.
The reptilian smuggler watched him go, confused.
"You're supposed to be that hero kid…" he muttered.
Ben paused.
For a moment, the rain seemed to fall harder.
Then he spoke without turning around.
"Not anymore."
He walked away into the darkness.
A small apartment building stood at the edge of the city.
The lights inside one room flickered weakly.
Ben sat on the floor, his back against the wall.
The room was quiet except for the rain tapping against the window.
His eyes drifted toward the small wooden table nearby.
On it sat a single photograph.
Ben picked it up slowly.
The picture showed three smiling faces.
Him.
Gwen.
And the man standing proudly behind them.
Max Tennyson.
Ben stared at the image for a long time.
His fingers tightened around the frame.
The memory came back like a knife.
Smoke.
Explosions.
His grandfather collapsing in his arms.
Ben squeezed his eyes shut.
"I should have been faster…"
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Silence filled the room again.
Then—
A faint humming sound echoed behind him.
Ben's eyes snapped open.
Green light suddenly filled the room.
Ben spun around instantly, grabbing the metal pipe he kept beside the wall.
A small holographic projection formed in the air.
A short grey figure with piercing eyes appeared.
Azmuth— the creator of the omnitrix.
Ben's grip on the pipe tightened.
"What do you want?"
Azmuth studied him carefully.
"You look worse than I expected."
Ben scoffed.
"You didn't answer my question, jerk."
Azmuth floated slightly closer.
"You abandoned the Omnitrix."
Ben's expression darkened.
"Good observation, genius."
"The Omnitrix was entrusted to you for a reason," Azmuth said.
Ben's voice turned sharp.
"Yeah? Tell that to the guy who died while I was wearing it." He paused for a bit before saying. "Last I checked it was meant for my grandpa."
Silence followed.
Azmuth watched him carefully.
"I did not come here to debate your guilt."
Ben leaned back against the wall with his finger pointed to the door.
"The exits that way."
Azmuth remained still.
"I have detected a human energy signature across the galaxy."
Ben didn't react.
Azmuth continued.
"The signature matches the DNA profile of Max Tennyson."
Ben froze.
Slowly, he looked up.
"…What?"
Azmuth's hologram shifted, projecting a glowing scan in the air.
Biometric data.
Energy readings.
A flashing result.
DNA MATCH: 99.8%
Ben stood up instantly.
"That's impossible."
Azmuth nodded slightly.
"That is the logical conclusion."
Ben shook his head.
"No. I saw him die."
"Your certainty does not change the evidence."
Ben turned away, running a hand through his hair.
"This is some kind of mistake."
Azmuth studied him.
"It is not."
Ben laughed bitterly.
"You came all this way just to mess with me?"
"No."
Ben gritted his teeth and screamed at him, "I was at his funeral."
Azmuth's voice grew more serious.
"I came because the situation has escalated."
Ben frowned.
"What situation?"
Azmuth's hologram flickered slightly.
Then he spoke the words that froze Ben where he stood.
"Your cousin has been abducted."
Ben's eyes widened.
"...What?"
Azmuth continued calmly.
"Gwendolyn Tennyson was taken approximately two days ago."
Ben's heart began to pound.
"Taken by who?"
Azmuth's eyes narrowed.
"The same individuals responsible for the Max Tennyson energy signature."
Ben's fists clenched.
"Where is she?"
Azmuth raised a small device.
Green light flashed.
Something materialized on the floor beside Ben.
A familiar watch.
The Omnitrix.
Ben stared at it.
Memories flooded back instantly.
Battles.
Victories.
Failures.
Max's final breath.
Azmuth's voice cut through the silence.
"If you wish to save her…"
The watch glowed softly.
"…you will need this."
Ben didn't move.
For a long moment, the room was silent except for the rain.
"I retired." Ben said coldly.
Azimuth shook his head. "Heroes done retire."
"Maybe I don't want o be a hero anymore." Ben responded. "Besides, why not take that to the plumbers rather than giving it to an irresponsible kid?"
Azmuth hesitated for a moment before saying. "Not many people know of this, I just thought you should know. If you want the omnitrix it's yours."
He stared at the device for several seconds in hesitation. "I don't need that thing anymore."
"You will if things are as bad as they seem." Azmuth added.
Ben hesitated once more, "When this is over I'm gonna return it."
"Your choice." Azmuth said.
Then Ben slowly bent down.
His hand hovered above the Omnitrix.
His reflection stared back at him in the metal surface.
He looked tired, angry and broken.
A little over year had passed since Grandpa Max's death, he had detached himself from everyone. Even from his cousin. A few months back he could not take all the weight piling up in his chest, he ran away from home and chose to become a vigilante without the omnitirx.
He did not fight to save others as a hero but to release all of his pent up rage. He had not been in contact with his cousin for months.
Ben clenched his jaw.
Then he grabbed the watch.
The Omnitrix snapped onto his wrist with a metallic click like it had done the first time. Green light burst across the room.
Ben looked down at it.
His voice was quiet.
But cold.
"Tell me where they took her."
Azmuth's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I've arranged a team for you, they were working on the case with her"
"I don't do teams." Ben argued.
Azmuth rolled his eyes. "The folly of youth."
"What's stopping me from going out there and finding her myself?" He asked coldly.
Azmuth responded. "Common sense Ben Tennyson."
And somewhere in the galaxy…
Someone wearing the face of Max Tennyson smiled.