Chapter Text
It begins a day like any other, the worlds still turning, the many galaxies of the universe kept at peace, tyrants and villains struck down swiftly and soundly, yet by the end of this day, the universe shall weep. It isn’t a matter of possibility, either, muses the Timewalker, because today is the day Benjamin Kirby Tennyson dies. At least one of them, anyways, the one most responsible for solving the problems that once plagued him in Los Soledad. Professor Paradox sighs as he takes a seat next to Ben, resting in what is most certainly his death bed. The two men, one decoupled from time, the other at the end of his line, sit there in silence, a peaceful contemplation washing over them.
Unsurprisingly, it’s Ben that breaks the silence, coughing a bit as he turns to look at the professor. “This is gonna be the last time we talk, isn’t it, doc?”
“It is.”
“So it’s finally time. Had to happen eventually, I just always figured it’d happen in a fight with all the trouble we got into, heh.”
Professor Paradox smiles a bit, that endearing charm still shining through in his old friend. The Timewalker is accustomed to seeing people die, but it always hurts more when it’s a friend, doesn’t it?
He’s shaken from his thoughts by another cough from Ben, and something being dropped in his lap. “Don’t really need this anymore, can’t exactly use it where I’m going. I want you to have it.”
Professor Paradox has an idea of what Ben just put in his lap, but looking down confirms it. Sitting in his lap is the device that had been dubbed “The Ultimate Weapon.” A piece of technology practically synonymous with Ben and his descendants, but especially Ben. Sitting in his lap is the object which singlehandedly ended the Highbreed Wars, the Omnitrix. This situation? This is new.
“Ben, you can’t be giving this to me! I… I’m not even sure if I can-”
“I’m not giving it to you for you to use it,” Ben interrupted, “I’m giving it to you because you can find someone who deserves it. You’re one of my oldest friends, and I trust your judgement. Just make sure that whoever you find, whatever other Ben or hell, whatever random kid you give the Omnitrix to, make sure they have everything they need before they get it.”
The Professor pauses, contemplating the instructions given to him, the last wish of Ben Tennyson. “And what, pray tell, do they need in your opinion?”
Ben chuckles, laying back and looking out the window near his deathbed, a wistful smile as he speaks. “They need a good heart, first off. We can’t let the Omnitrix fall into the wrong hands, afterall. We’ve seen the kind of devastation a rogue Omnitrix can cause.” Both men shudder at the efforts of the countless villains Ben has fought, all of whom he triumphed over.
He continues, his coughing growing a bit more intense for a second. “They also need the right instincts, the Omnitrix works best when used by someone good at thinking on the fly. Someone that can use everything at their disposal to their advantage.” The Professor chuckles again, remembering the many unorthodox ways that Ben had succeeded in his past, the victories that felt as though pulled from thin air.
Ben turns to look at Professor Paradox once more, his eyes still filled with that determination that he was famous for. “And finally… They have to have courage, the kind of courage that lets someone face impossible odds and win. The kind of courage and unshakeable drive that kept me going years past my prime.”
Professor Paradox looks down at the Omnitrix, modified to resemble Ben’s original prototype, for some reason? Perhaps it was simply because Ben missed the original aesthetic. Perhaps it was symbolic, a fresh start for a new hero.
“Is there anything else I should know?” The Professor asked, in lieu of giving a definite response.
“It’s set to emulate my original Omnitrix. Ten minute time limit, only the same base ten aliens I had, for now. It also doesn’t have the capability to swap the user between forms without them becoming human again first, at least to start. If they find a way to access the Master Control, that’s a different story. It does have the ability to change them back instantly but… Don’t tell them how. If they’re clever they’ll figure it out on their own, unless something comes along and they have to swap back, like if they accidentally turn into Wildmutt first.” He chuckles at the visual, especially remembering his first time as Wildmutt, the sheer variety of senses bombarding his system, yet knowing the whole time that he could handle it.
Professor Paradox nods, slowly placing the Omnitrix in his coat as he stands, placing his hand on his old friend’s as a tear falls down his face. “I’ll do it, Ben. I’ll find you a worthy successor.”
The fading hero smiles, nodding solemnly. “That’s all I ask. It’s been a blast, Professor. Good luck.”
Professor Paradox chuckles, smiling sadly as he leaves the room, parting ways with his old friend for the last time. “I don’t need luck, my boy, I’ve got all the time in the world.”
A few hours later, Benjamin Kirby Tennyson is surrounded by friends and family, assuring them that he’s fine, that he’s ready, that he has no regrets. Someone asks about the Omnitrix before he passes, and all he said was “It’s in good hands.” Minutes later, he says his last words “It’s time for someone else to be the Hero.” Then he lays back, his eyes shut, and his body goes still.
And the universe weeps.
One would think that with all the time in the world and infinite possibilities, that one of these universes would have a worthy candidate for the Omnitrix, muses the Professor as he leaves yet another universe that already has a Ben Tennyson with an Omnitrix. He sighs as he enters yet another, and as his reality adjusts around him, the nonexistence of him disappearing with him left in its place, he takes a moment to get his bearings, quickly popping around the planet to a few different places, to figure out what’s different.
His final destination is… Japan. Seems like a ward of Tokyo if he had to guess, lovely city. And, as though a twist of fate, he sees him. His old friend returned to a youthful vigor, though he still seems to be about 40 and fighting some ruffian. And crucially he seems to be lacking an Omnitrix!
This is perfect, sure Ben was amazing with it as a child but as an adult he could do so much-
His train of thought is interrupted as this universe’s Ben yells the words “Muscle Up!” and punches the thug with strength FAR beyond even the limits of any extremely well-trained human being. Something…else…. is going on here.
As Ben slaps a set of odd cuffs on the thug, Professor Paradox takes this as his time to talk. He’s got some questions about the things he’s seen and honestly? He’s feeling sentimental and wants to talk to his friend again, even if it’s not the same as the one he made that promise to. He subtly makes his way to the grown-up Ben’s location. “That was a wonderful job, young man.”
This Ben turns to look at the Professor, no signs of recognition in his eyes as he raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “I wouldn’t exactly call myself a ‘young’ man but in this day and age, who can honestly tell. Thank you, is there any way I can help you Mister…”
“Paradox. Professor Paradox. It’s the only name most people call me at this point. Not that I’m complaining, a dear friend gave me the name.” The professor holds out his hand to shake, he may be a bit eccentric but that’s no excuse to not be polite.
Ben smiles at him, taking his hand in a firm, practiced grasp. “A pleasure to meet you, then, Professor. You can call me Ben 10. Now onto the other question, is there any way I can help you, sir?”
“Quite so, I was wondering how you managed to strike him so hard. Despite how fit you are, that was clearly a superhuman punch.” The Professor waits with bated breath as Ben, this alternate version of his dear friend, tilts his head in confusion before realization strikes. Clearly, a quick wit must be a universal constant.
“Oh, you’re asking about my quirk! Yeah, it’s called ‘Ten Times,’ it allows me to increase my physical capabilities by a factor of ten for a short bit!” Yet another oddity about this world, thinks the professor, a hand coming to his chin.
“Forgive me if I seem uneducated by asking this but… what, pray tell, is a ‘quirk’ exactly? I’m afraid I’ve not heard the word used in that context before.”
Ben chuckles, slapping Paradox on the back in a way the significantly older man finds familiar, “It’s no trouble! It’s a term that was popularized in Japan after the Dark Age of Quirks, as a replacement for the older term ‘Meta Abilities.’ Quirks are the various powers that… uuh, about 80% of the world has access to at this point? At least last I checked. They’re just another part of what makes us who we are!”
The professor curses to himself. These “Quirks” must be why he saw so many odd aliens that he had never seen before during his initial pass over the planet! They weren’t Aliens at all, they were all humans! And if that’s the case then… nobody with a quirk should get their hands on the Omnitrix. The chance that their extreme genetic diversity might damage the library of alien DNA, some of which is still very extinct, is far too high to risk it. He should move on but… Something is still bothering him. He looks up, pulling himself from his daze and jumping slightly as he realizes Ben is staring at him, clearly concerned.
“Sir, are you ok? Do… Do you need help finding your way to somewhere safe?”
The professor laughs a bit, even without an Omnitrix he can always count on Ben to play… the… Hero. His eyes light up as he responds to the concerned question. “No, I’ll be fine on my own, I just have one more question for you. Why, exactly, were you fighting that… ruffian, over there?”
Ben laughs a deep belly laugh, the sound bringing back so many memories. “Because I’m a Pro Hero! I may not be too high up in the rankings, but helping people and stopping villains and criminals is part of the job description!”
Jackpot!
The professor smiles and nods at his deceased friend’s parallel self, “Thank you very much, young man, both for the information and for not treating me as lesser for being unaware.”
He smiles, a practiced smile now that Paradox looks a bit more closely at it. “Think nothing of it! You said you didn’t need help finding your way somewhere safe, are you here in Japan for any particular reason?”
“Yes… A dear friend of mine tasked me with making sure that something very important of his makes its way into the right hands. I haven’t found them yet, but I believe I’m on the cusp of a breakthrough in my search, thanks to you.”
“Oh!” he exclaims, clearly confused by the odd Professor’s mannerisms. Especially as he continues, his confusion audible in his tone “Well, alright, if you’re certain! Glad I could help!”
And with that, Paradox takes his leave, walking down a street, into an alley, and vanishing. This is perfect! A universe where Superheroes aren’t just an ideal, they’re an actual profession! Sure, the quirks may be a bit of a hiccup, but he can probably work around it. He just has to find one person out of several billions with the heroic traits that Ben specifically requested that doesn’t have a quirk. Sure the odds of succeeding there are concerningly slim, but seeing as how they aren’t zero, it’s practically a guarantee!
He steps out of another alley in another part of Tokyo. Perhaps it would be wise to start his search here. Sure, he can be anywhere and anywhen he wants, but it doesn’t hurt to have a starting point. Right as he contemplates that, he hears a sound that he is not unfamiliar with in his line of work, a somewhat nearby salvo of explosions. Well, if he’s to find a successor to Ben Tennyson, that would certainly be a good place to look! Ben certainly would have run towards them rather than away, after all.
When he arrives the sight he sees is downright ghastly. One would think that in a society with superheroes being paid to be heroes that one of the half-dozen costumed individuals here would be doing something other than just standing around watching a boy drown on dry land! At least the man covered in wood and the man resembling a collage of firefighter equipment are trying to help handle the situation, but the others? Honestly the large man wearing construction barriers just complained that he couldn’t do anything because of a bad matchup. Paradox is half-tempted to step in himself when a rather small, unassuming young boy with green hair pushes his way past the barrier, executes an honestly impressive throw hitting the villain in one of their only exposed weak points, and grabs the victim.
As this young man starts to pull the other boy around his age out, a loud, booming laugh is heard as a man built like an inverted triangle seemingly appears out of nowhere and throws a punch that changes the weather. However, the Timewalker isn’t paying attention to this new hero… All of his focus is on the young green boy as he’s pulled to safety and given an examination by nearby paramedics. He’s nearly perfect, there’s just one thing he needs to find out. As he approaches the boy, the same man wearing construction barriers comes up and starts berating him.
“There was absolutely no need to put yourself in danger!” he yells at the child.
And the Professor cannot help but interject, “There absolutely was, because you certainly weren’t doing anything!”
Both the boy and the hero turn to look at the Timewalker, surprised by his sudden appearance as so many people seem to be. “Hey, what are you-”
“Was it not you that said ‘Just gotta wait for someone with the right quirk to show up’? Were you truly content to stand by and watch as a child drowns on dry land simply because you don’t think you can do anything? Honestly you had every opportunity to do what this young man did, and far better than he could have given your physique, so why didn’t you?” The professor pauses, letting his chastisement of the hero sink in before walking up to him, staring him in the eye with that intense gaze derived from thousands of years of practice. “Your glass house is impressive, stop throwing stones.”
The hero cracks first, backing away from the truly odd man in a labcoat and goggles that seemingly materialized out of thin air. He walks away grumbling something before the professor turns his attention to the boy. “Now, young man, are you alright? What you did there was very dangerous.”
“Y-yeah… I’m fine enough. You… you didn’t have to yell at Death Arms like that…”
“Nonsense! He shouldn’t get to chastise you for running in there unless he were willing to do the same! Tell me, though, what were you thinking? Did you have some sort of quirk that would help in this specific situation?”
“N-No, sir… I don’t have a quirk at all. I saw Kacchan’s face and my body just… moved on its own.”
Oh this kid is perfect. All the right traits that Ben was looking for and he’s quirkless so there’s no risk of damage to the library. “Well, despite all setbacks, I’d say you did an admirable job.With that throw of yours, aiming for a part of him that wasn’t made of sludge, absolutely genius thinking on the fly.”
The boy blinks at that, as though absolutely baffled by the thought of being given praise, and doesn't that just strike a chord with the professor? Are those without quirks treated as lesser for something they can’t possibly control? He adjusts himself in his seat, clearly unaccustomed to praise.
“Thanks, I guess. He is right though, it was pretty reckless…”
“He can criticize you putting your life on the line when he is willing to do the same.” The young boy hops off the ambulance where he was sitting, slinging his bag over his shoulders intent on walking this off. “What’s your name, young man?” the professor asks, wanting to put a name to this face.
“Oh, it’s Midoriya, Midoriya Izuku.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Izuku, my boy. I’ll certainly be seeing you again soon.” And with that, the professor walks off as though he hadn’t just casually shifted the young boy’s worldview just a bit, rounding a corner and vanishing. He begins to tail the young man, waiting to find the right moment to move… There! He’s alone in a secluded alleyway with nobody around, a perfect time to act!
Midoriya Izuku is having a fucking day: almost got drowned by a sludge villain, met All Might, got his autograph (maybe he can show Kacchan to make him jealous?), got to ask the question that’s settled in his heart ever since that fateful doctor’s appointment, got left alone on a roof after his dream was shattered, encountered the sludge villain again on his way home, saw Bakugo being drowned, helped save Bakugo, got yelled at, had a weird man in a labcoat swoop in out of nowhere to defend him and praise him for his actions… Yeah it’s been weird.
As he looks up and sees that same man in a labcoat standing in front of him in the middle of the alleyway, smiling like he just won the lottery, he realizes that it might be about to get weirder.
“Hello, Izuku, my boy! How would you like the chance to be a hero?”