"You Have Power, Why Not Become a Hero?"

### **Then**

* Ross is introduced as a bullied high-schooler who confides all of his difficulties to his cousin (Robyn), whom he shares a strong bond with, though xe lives miles away from him and thus converses through Skype each night.

### **Now**

The conference room was bustling with activity. A room bigger than an amusement park, empty save for white panelling, a table stretching across it all, and hundreds of chairs placed rhythmically across both sides. Creatures from far and wide streamed in; big, small, humanoid, animalistic, solid and gelatinous, the variance between their appearances was limitless. All were only unified by the bands they wore; on wrists, legs and necks bearing an orange symbol that vaguely resembled two hourglasses. The smaller ones took their seats around a table stretching the length farther than any human eye could see, while the giants stood up or knelt. Over a hundred metal chairs and a table, each filled.

At the far end of a table, the most unusual sight of all sat. Among these aliens of different creed and race, a human man sat, seemingly unbothered. He looked only just 18, and his white hair was unkempt. He wore a dark red jacket with a white stripe running down it - the number 10 in the center of this. Albedo tapped the microphone in front of him - sending a large feedback that all members could hear - and spoke.

"Welcome, one and all, to the third meeting of the Anti-Tennyson Alliance." Silence. "Alright, I'm going to cut the crap and get straight to it. The rebellion will happen within the next month." A murmur broke out in the members and Albedo looked around to gauge the group's reaction. Two Vreedles looked at each other nervously, the Circus Trio Nuevo smiled and a man in orange armor whom Albedo didn't recognise pumped his hands. "This is due to a new creation I've been fortunate enough to obtain. I'm sure some of you are aware of the Unitrix, a Matrix device that's used as a link between it and Primus." A few villains nodded. "I have been able to obtain this, and mass produce it in a way that lets it act as a single-species Omnitrix. Observe." Albedo took out a small capsule with grey-ish veins, and pressed it into his hand. In an instant, a flash consumed him, and a red-eyed Galvan was sitting in his place. Cheers immediately broke out.

"Woah!"

"So we're finally doing the plan?"

"Interesting... and I use the term loosely."

Each villain expressed their amazement; those not close enough to see the original event got the gist of it from the others. The now-Galvan Albedo waited for the noise to die down, and continued. "These will be our key to victory; they will allow us to counter Tennyson with his own power. **However.**" The few villains still celebrating immediately stopped at this. What else was there to say? "These cannot be distributed right now."

"Why the hell not?!" a voice came from the back, followed by everyone else agreeing.

"So we're not doing the plan?"

"What're we gonna do with them then?"

"This is stupid."

Albedo once again waiting for the noise to die down, and continued once again. "This is only because some have been stolen from me. I've been made aware a good amount of *my* Unitricies are being sold on the Undertown Black Market. While I'm not opposed to sharing my tech, this irresponsibility may alert Tennyson to their existence early and jeopardize our plan. Unless all of the missing Unitricies may be found, none will be given out. All articles of business have been addressed, and thus the meeting is adjourned."

"You're a hack, Albedo!" a voice shouted, though whoever it belonged to had already teleported away in a purple flash. The others began to leave too, most teleporting but some walking south. The Galvan was met with various "boo!"s, and other insults as the various aliens streamed out, just as fast as they entered.

Soon, there were only two remaining. Albedo himself, reverted to human, and a large, bulky humanoid that Albedo knew meant business. Vilgax.

"I would point out what was wrong with that speech, but I don't know where to begin." Vilgax snarled.

"Yeah, yeah." Albedo got up from his chair and walked over to where Vilgax was, sitting back down next to him. "I was never good with public speaking."

"You dared to display such power, and then refuse to supply it?" Vilgax questioned. "This will only land you with more theives."

"No, trust me. Those idiots have been waiting for hope for months, I just finally supplied it. Only a complete moron would try to jeopardize this now." Albedo explained.

Vilgax raised an eyebrow. "'Complete moron' is an accurate descriptor for half of those creatures."

"True. At least they're more successful than you." Albedo stood up and stepped back before continuing, "You're wanted in, what, ten galaxies? And you used to be the ruler of that many planets. What a fall from grace, huh?"

"Coming from the one trapped in his arch-rival's body." Vilgax retorted.

"Whatever." Albedo took another Unitrix out of his pocket and suddenly tossed it at Vilgax, the warlord catching it and pocketing it in turn. "You'll need this. Can't just walk outside with that status, right? Just give it back to me when I ask, alright?"

"Do you think I, Vilgax, the Conqueror of Ten Worlds bows to the instruction of a child?"

"When you aren't conquering any of those worlds, and I'm the key for you to do so again? Yes."

Albedo walked toward the exit, not looking back at Vilgax.

### **Then**

* Ross begins to experience superhuman abilities, as well as a sudden lethargy and sensitivity to the sun. Confiding this to Robyn, xe suggests he becomes a superhero. Ross shrugs off the idea, but turns on the news to see a bank robbery, and decides to try and stop it.

### **Now**

* Ben Tennyson is re-introduced as a nearly 21 year-old Plumber Leader, being in charge of the America base, as well as there being plans to recreate the town of Bellwood as a Ben 10 Tourist attraction town.
* Ben is confronted by an angry Appoplexian family, who claim that their son was attacked by an Omnitrix user. Suspecting Albedo (and in the process exposition-dropping that he broke out of prison a few years prior), Ben assembles a team of him, Gwen and Kevin to find the assailant.

### **Then**

* Ross tries to stop a bank robbery, but his incompetence leaves him injured in the arm. After Plumbers arrive on the scene, Ross is seen as alien and is taken away by them.

### **Now**

* Using Gwen's mana tracking (done off-screen), Ben finds an Ickthyperambuloid, who claims that he's a gang boss, and the Appoplexian entered his territory. When questioned on how he fought off an Appoplexian, he reveals a Unitrix and uses it to transform into a Gimlinopithecus.
* He and Ben fight, which ends with him getting away while criticising how it's not fair that Ben has an Omnitrix, and his friends haven't been attacked for their Unitricies.

### **Then**

* Waiting in the Plumber Base, Ross is approached by a much older Tack, who explains that he can be taken to Plumbers' Academy, where he can be trained to be a real hero. Seeing it as a chance to escape his bullies, Ross accepts.

### **Now**

* Returning to Plumber Base, Ben finds Kevin and Argit, and Ben begrudgingly pays Argit for info on the Unitricies.
* Argit tells them that they're being spread across the black market in Undertown, and that they're instrumental in a plot to kill Ben.
* Upon prompting, Argit reveals that there's a group out to kill Ben, and that he was comissioned to help get something to them, though he refuses to say what.
* After they leave, the Plumbers send out a broadcast mentioning the Unitricies and to turn them in if you have one, which is immediately followed by a phone call from "Bill", who claims that he owns one and to meet him at a Mr. Smoothies.
* Ben suspects a trap, and so assumes alien form before going. Bill sees Ben as an alien, and thinks he's being attacked, transforming into Invisibill and starting to fight him. After Ben calms him down, he apologises, and explains that he was sold the Unitrix in order to become a superhero. He tells Ben that he'll give him the Unitrix as long as he can go on missions with him.
* Ben "accepts", and brings Bill back to Plumber Base, with plans to take the Unitrix and abandon him.

### **Somewhere in America**

* On a barren desert road, Bill is in rags, and slightly bloodied, hitchhiking.
* A truck with two women pulls up, and he gets in quickly, just telling them to drive as fast as possible.
* They ask him what's going on after driving off, and he begins to explain.

EPISODE END