Chapter 73: Ben's Fourth Suitor, and Klein's Little Chat with Ben 10,000
Boom!
A deafening explosion shattered the tranquility of the plaza. Ben had just been staring up at the towering, heroic statue of Ben 10,000 with stars in his eyes when the monument suddenly detonated into a shower of marble and dust.
"Tennyson! Where are you?!" a gravelly voice roared.
As the thick gray smoke parted, a massive, bipedal rhinoceros mutant stomped over the pulverized remains of the statue, snorting aggressively.
Klein leaned against a nearby pillar, brushing a stray piece of rubble off his shoulder. A familiar, mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help but mentally categorize this angry rhino creature as Ben's third fiercely loyal 'suitor'—right alongside Vilgax and Kevin. Wait, no. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. There was also Tiny, the Tetramand. That made this rampaging rhino suitor number four. The kid really had a knack for attracting obsessive stalkers.
"You're looking for me?" Ben puffed out his chest, completely oblivious to his cousin's internal mockery. His hand hovered over the Omnitrix dial. "Then I'll show you why I'm the greatest hero in the—"
Before Ben could even slap the dial, a dark gray afterimage tore through the plaza. The sheer kinetic force of the blur slammed into the rhino creature, sending the massive beast crashing into the pavement with a heavy thud.
The blur skidded to a halt, resolving into a sharp, aerodynamic figure. Klein and the others got a clear look at the newcomer: a sleek, dark gray and black XLR8.
The adult Kineceleran didn't even strike a victory pose. He merely cast a cold, analytical glance down at the unconscious rhino mutant. "This has Dr. Animo's genetic signature written all over it. I'm returning to headquarters immediately to run a full DNA analysis."
"Whoa! You're... me!" Ben's eyes went wide, practically sparkling with awe. "I have a headquarters?! That is so cool!"
Seeing the older XLR8 already turning to speed off, Ben scrambled forward, throwing his arms out to block the path. He was practically vibrating with excitement, desperate to squeeze out every detail about this future 'headquarters' and his own impending awesomeness.
Ben 10,000 didn't even look at his younger self. His visor snapped toward the adult woman standing nearby. "Gwendolyn, take them back. Now."
Without waiting for a response, the dark gray XLR8 vanished in a sonic boom, leaving a gust of wind that nearly knocked the younger Ben off his feet.
"What's... his problem?" Ben coughed, waving away the dust.
Klein narrowed his eyes, staring at the empty space where the speedster had just been. The older Ben gave off a completely alien vibe. It was cold, mechanical, and entirely devoid of the cocky, energetic spark that defined the Dweeb. It didn't feel like Ben at all.
"Ben 10,000 has unlocked every secret the Omnitrix has to offer," Gwendolyn said, her brow furrowing as she gazed down the street where her cousin had vanished. "But this current crisis... it's not something he can solve through sheer force alone. He isn't ready for it."
"He just said that rhino guy was Dr. Animo's masterpiece!" Ben pointed out, his competitive spirit flaring. "So the big crisis you're talking about is Animo, right?" He slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix dial. "Alright! Let me go Stinkfly and I'll fly us right to him!"
A brilliant flash of emerald light bathed the plaza. When it faded, there was no massive insect. Instead, a tiny, gray, frog-like alien stood on the pavement. Grey Matter.
"Oh, come on! Seriously?!" Grey Matter threw his tiny hands up in the air, his squeaky voice echoing with pure frustration.
"Patience isn't exactly your strong suit, is it, Dweeb?" Klein strolled forward, his tone dripping with dry amusement. "You don't even know where Dr. Animo is hiding."
He reached down and casually tapped the glowing hourglass symbol on Grey Matter's back. A brief flash of red light washed over the tiny alien, instantly reverting him back into a very pouty ten-year-old Ben.
Klein shifted his gaze to Gwendolyn. Personally, he couldn't fathom how a B-list crackpot like Dr. Animo could cause a world-ending crisis. But he knew his cousins. If Gwendolyn had gone through the trouble of pulling them into the future, she already had a grasp on the situation. She probably had a carefully crafted plan ready to go. The Dork was always ten steps ahead, no matter what timeline she was in.
Gwendolyn opened her mouth to speak, but a sharp, electronic chime interrupted her. The stylized cat-face charm clipped to her belt lit up, emitting a crisp, automated voice: [Danger alert. Sector 15D.]
"Sector 15D?" younger Gwen asked, tilting her head in confusion. "What's out there?"
Gwendolyn's expression tightened. "The DNA Central Bank. It's the largest genetic repository on the planet. It houses millions of DNA samples collected from across the entire Milky Way Galaxy."
"Perfect!" Ben grinned, his hand hovering right back over his watch. "Let me go XLR8! I'll rush over to Sector 15D and kick Dr. Animo's butt before he even knows what hit him!"
Klein didn't hesitate. He reached out and flicked Ben sharply on the forehead.
Smack.
"Are you drunk on cheap juice boxes, you idiot?" Klein sighed, his voice laced with heavy exasperation. "You're all hyped up, but do you even know the way? You have zero clue where Sector 15D is, yet you're ready to sprint blindly across a futuristic mega-city to fight Animo."
"Ow! Hey!" Ben rubbed his forehead, shooting Klein a defensive glare. "I'm just eager, okay? How can a great hero just stand around when villains are doing villain stuff?" He mumbled the excuse, desperately trying to cover up the fact that he was, indeed, entirely too hyped up. He couldn't help it. Ever since he saw how ridiculously awesome his adult self was, the adrenaline had completely hijacked his brain.
Before Ben could complain further, the deep, rumbling hum of a heavy engine echoed down the street. A very familiar, albeit heavily modified, RV pulled up to the curb.
"Grandpa's Rustbucket!" Gwen gasped, her eyes lighting up as she recognized the iconic vehicle.
The hydraulic doors of the Rustbucket hissed open. A noticeably older Grandpa Max stepped out. His hair was completely white, and he sported a futuristic cybernetic arm, but his warm, crinkled eyes remained exactly the same. His gaze immediately found the adult Gwendolyn. "Gwendolyn. It really is you."
"Grandpa! We're here too!" Ben and Gwen practically tackled the older man, wrapping their arms around his waist.
Max let out a booming, joyous laugh, returning the hug with his good arm. "Well now," he chuckled, his voice thick with emotion. "This is truly the best eightieth birthday gift an old man could ask for. Seeing you kids again."
Gwen pulled back, her sharp mind catching the odd phrasing. "Seeing us again? Do you rarely see us in this time?"
Max stiffened slightly. An uncomfortable shadow passed over his face. "Well... uh... I see Gwendolyn quite often."
Ben caught on too, his excited grin faltering. "What about me, Grandpa?"
Max cleared his throat, clearly not wanting to crush the boy's spirits. He awkwardly shifted his stance, desperately searching for a way to change the subject. His eyes landed on the dark-haired teenager leaning casually against a nearby lamppost. "And... who might you be, son?" Max asked, blinking in mild confusion.
Klein let out a long, long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And this is exactly why I say time travel is a massive headache," he muttered dryly.
Gwen and Ben quickly jumped in, giving their grandfather the rapid-fire explanation of their cousin from another universe. Max's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he quickly adapted, a warm smile spreading across his weathered face.
"Well, I'll be," Max chuckled, clapping his hands together. "If I had known, I would have checked the road a little more carefully twenty years ago. Might have picked up another grandson along the way."
Gwendolyn, ever the pragmatist, steered them back on track. "Let's save the family reunion for later, Grandpa. Can you give us a ride to Sector 15D?"
Max gave a firm nod, his demeanor shifting back to the seasoned Plumber. "Hop in!"
"Whoa! The Rustbucket is super cool now!" Ben shouted the moment he stepped inside.
The interior had undergone a massive overhaul. Gone were the retro plaid seats and old microwave; the cabin was now lined with glowing holographic interfaces, sleek metallic plating, and advanced Plumber tech. Gwen was equally mesmerized, her eyes darting across the control panels. Klein raised a single eyebrow, mildly impressed by the upgrades, but he kept his expression perfectly neutral, taking a seat near the back.
"The best is yet to come," Gwendolyn said with a knowing smirk.
Max flipped a heavy switch on the dashboard. The entire chassis of the Rustbucket shuddered. Outside, the wheels folded inward, replaced by glowing anti-gravity thrusters. The bulky RV simplified into a sleek, aerodynamic dropship. With a powerful hum, the upgraded Rustbucket shot into the sky, tearing through the futuristic skyline toward Sector 15D.
As they cruised above the neon-lit city, Ben couldn't let the earlier conversation go. He leaned over the co-pilot seat. "Grandpa... you said you don't see me often. Why?"
Max kept his eyes locked on the skyway traffic, his grip tightening slightly on the yoke. "Uh... well, Ben. You just... focus on other things more these days." The underlying sadness in the old man's voice was impossible to miss.
Klein leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He understood the situation perfectly. The adult Ben had become a workaholic machine, completely neglecting his family.
"Don't worry about it, Grandpa Max," Klein drawled, his voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere. "Ben's little 'priority' issue is very easy to solve. I have plenty of experience with this exact problem." In Klein's pragmatic mind, Ben 10,000 was practically begging for a thorough, attitude-adjusting beatdown.
Ben whipped his head around to look at Klein, his eyes widening in sudden realization. "Oh man... he is in so much trouble," Ben whispered, knowing exactly what that specific tone from his cousin meant.
Gwendolyn blinked, looking between the two boys. "I heard the words, but I'm completely failing to comprehend the context."
"My cousin just found an excuse to hit someone," Ben explained, feeling a brief flash of pity for his future self. But then, a brilliant realization washed over him. Wait a second. It's not ME getting beaten up! It's the older, jerk version of me! Instantly, the ten-year-old's gloom vanished, replaced by a highly entertained, wicked little grin.
Sector 15D.
The Rustbucket descended smoothly, its thrusters whining as it touched down outside a massive, heavily fortified complex. "Alright, kids. We're here," Max announced, powering down the engines.
Klein, Gwen, and Gwendolyn filed out of the ship. Ben was about to follow, but he paused at the door, noticing that Max was still sitting in the pilot's seat. "Grandpa? Aren't you coming?"
Max offered a strained, forced smile. "Uh... no, Ben. You haven't needed my help for a very long time. Just... make sure you come see me before Gwendolyn sends you back to your own time, alright?"
Ben nodded slowly, stepping out onto the pavement. As the Rustbucket's doors hissed shut behind him, his expression darkened. He kicked a loose pebble across the ground. He really, really didn't want to admit it out loud, but seeing the hurt in his grandfather's eyes cemented it. His future self absolutely deserved a beating.
"Alright! That does it!" Ben growled, twisting the dial on his wrist with aggressive intent. "Let me go Four Arms and beat some sense into him!"
He slammed his palm down. A blinding flash of emerald light erupted. When it cleared, there was no four-armed brawler. Instead, a massive, foul-smelling insect hovered in the air, its four stalk-eyes blinking in confusion. Stinkfly.
"Right. Make sure you remind him how you always mess up the transformations," Gwen quipped from the sidelines, never missing an opportunity to capitalize on her cousin's embarrassing moments.
Ignoring the buzzing complaints of the ten-year-old Stinkfly, the group pushed through the shattered main doors of the Sector 15D facility. The interior was cavernous, lined wall-to-wall with towering, transparent cylindrical tanks. Each tank bubbled with a viscous yellow liquid, housing countless genetic samples suspended in the fluid.
BOOM!
An interior wall suddenly exploded outward in a shower of concrete and twisted rebar. A massive, muscular red figure was violently thrown through the breach, crashing hard into a row of empty containment units. It was Ben 10,000, currently transformed into a heavily scarred, adult Four Arms.
Heavy, thudding footsteps echoed from the dust cloud. A monstrous, mutated white gorilla—easily standing four meters tall—lumbered out of the gaping hole. But the most grotesque feature wasn't its sheer size; it was the thick glass jar mounted squarely on its shoulders, housing the disembodied, sneering head of Dr. Animo.
Klein didn't even spare the giant gorilla mutant a second glance. He casually strolled right past the roaring beast, his hands tucked loosely into his pockets, and walked straight toward the groaning adult Four Arms.
"Ben," Klein said, his voice eerily calm as he looked down at the older hero. "I think it's time we had a little chat."
Ben 10,000 pushed himself up onto his four massive elbows, staring at the teenager in absolute bewilderment. Talk? What the hell was there to talk about?! Was this really the time for a family intervention?!
Dr. Animo, floating in his nutrient jar, narrowed his eyes. He wasn't stupid. He could clearly see that this random, dark-haired kid was completely, utterly ignoring his majestic and terrifying presence.
The mad scientist ground his teeth together, his voice echoing through the external speakers of his gorilla-mech body. "You insolent little brat! How dare you—"
Klein slowly turned his head. His dark eyes locked onto the floating head in the jar. The air around him seemed to drop several degrees.
"Unless you want me to send you straight to heaven for a tea party," Klein said, his voice smooth, quiet, and laced with absolute lethal intent, "I suggest you shut your mouth."
Dismissing the villain entirely, Klein raised his wrist. The sleek, dark face of the Another Omnitrix hummed to life, casting an ominous crimson glow over his features. He looked back down at the battered adult Four Arms, a dangerous, challenging smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"I heard you've mastered every single secret the Omnitrix has to offer," Klein taunted, his fingers hovering over his own dial. "But I really wonder... can you do this?"
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]