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Ben spent all of four hours hugging, talking to, and overall bonding with his mom and dad on the day he got back before word quickly spread (Gwendolyn’s mana sensed him) that Ben Tennyson was alive and had returned. Grandpa Max followed by Blukic, Driba, Rook, Gwendolyn, and Kevin all practically mowed down his door before Ben realized what was going on.
Ben was questioned, cross examined, and scanned over and over again to be sure he was the real Ben. To be sure it was really him, alive and well, after around six months or so of being nowhere to be found.
They asked where he’d gone.
They wanted to know what happened.
They had so many questions, and he supposed they deserved some answers, considering he’d scared most of them pretty badly.
He was vague with his response, for Albedo’s sake. He would honor his brother’s last request to Ben after all. Albedo would come and reconcile with his past in the Omniverse when he was ready. For now, Ben wanted to make sure that he was safe and free to live the life he’d made for himself in the Heroverse.
He told them Albedo was no longer a problem.
He told them he’d been trapped in another multiverse with no means of returning, and that it’d taken six months to build a way home again.
He told them nothing more. Nothing less. He spoke little of the team. Of his friendship and adventures. Those times felt almost… Personal to him. Like a period of his crazy life he’d been given by the universe itself for reflection and rest. Sure, he’d still been a hero, but there he’d felt the most normal he had in a long time. He wanted to cling on to those precious memories of Deka the Changeling and the Young Justice Team for as long as he was able.
Thankfully, they accepted his vague response as truth and welcomed him with warm embraces, nostalgic tales, and overall love.
Eventually, however, like with most things, the moment of calm he had with his family and closest friends was interrupted by chaos as more than Ben’s close circle was made privy to Ben’s updated status. Ben and his family had to be moved to the Plumber base until Ben could readjust to the Omniverse, so as to minimize the attacks.
Two weeks had passed, and in that time, many people had come to visit him, giving updates on their own lives.
Rook’s sister had been transferred to Earth.
Cooper wanted to tell Ben all about his new idea for a project.
Blukic and Driba had many inventions they wanted to tell Ben all about and get Ben to test with him.
Ken, Gwen’s big brother, had gotten a new job a town over, and was apparently visiting a lot more now that he’d finished college.
Argit was starting a mayoral campaign for Bellwood… For some weird reason. He was also going around convincing people that despite being an alien species, he was born in America, and thus an American citizen. Ben wasn’t sure what he was trying to get out of that, but he was happy that Argit shifted from his typical scams.
Rook had been promoted more, and was super busy all the time, but still made room in his now crazy schedule for some smoothies and small talk.
Gwendolyn had apparently gone on some crazy magician’s journey in the Ledger Domain during her grieving stage and was one of the most powerful sorceresses in their sector of the galaxy.
Kevin was starting up his own shop. Him and Rook apparently were constantly talking about it and coming up with new ideas. Ben had to step out halfway through their nerding out about engines. Apparently, Kevin intended to make it a shop for all kinds of vehicles and for any species smart enough to put keys in the ignition and start it. It was going to be the first intergalactic shop outside of Undertown on Earth and it was getting a lot of media attention for how revolutionary it was.
Pakmar was the sponsor for the shop. He was NOT happy to see Ben. The feeling was mutual.
Basically anyone and everyone Ben considered a friend or acquaintance dropped by. All of them were overjoyed to see he was alive and well. All of them expressed that they missed him. Rook even made a remark that he ‘appreciated Ben’s position a little more than he had’ and promised to ‘ensure the burden of the Omnitrix was not too difficult to carry.’ A lot of the conversations had gone like that, actually.
Ben finally asked about Azmuth, and how they kept the peace while he was away. He knew there were many evil overlords who’d been waiting for Ben to croak to make their moves. He could very well imagine that it hadn’t been easy.
“It wasn’t.” Gwendolyn said with a sad smile, “Honestly, I don’t think many of us knew how much hinged on you just being around. I know I didn’t really help things… Leaving for the Ledger Domain. But it was a lot. Me, Rook, Kevin, and… Well, surprisingly Kai. We all banded together once we got our heads on straight and filled the void left by you. It took four people, which is kind’ve crazy to think about. And Grandpa Max really stepped up his game in whipping the Plumber protocols into better shape. We all really learned from it all. We also realized a few things about you… Why didn’t you ever tell us you were going through that much, Ben?”
“...You guys never asked.” Ben admitted, “And I guess it didn’t feel right to say much about it. I’m the hero, after all.” He expected her to take his blanket statement about him being the hero as another brag, but strangely enough, she actually saw him through those three words in a way she’d never really seen him before.
It was… A little refreshing.
“Yeah. I guess so.” Was her response.
“...But, um, no offense? Why was Kai involved in this at all? Doesn’t she normally stick to researching ancient alien cultures?” Ben asked.
Gwen shook her head.
“She’s refocused. She’s been traveling a lot more. Grandpa had her go find Azmuth, and when she got back from all of that. She returned to Earth, beelined to draw Excalibur, and then wen completely rogue from the Plumbers in the way you used to. Used her magic sword to help put things back into shape. Apparently her little trip was… Enlightening. I had my reservations at first, but she stepped up. She studies alien history in her free time still, sure, but she’s also used the whole thing as an opportunity to learn more about the aliens around right now that we’re protecting as plumbers.”
“...Huh… Good for her, I guess.” Ben said with a shrug, “So long as she’s not in my business, I’m glad she’s taken on the hero role.”
“She’s actually been on base for the past several days.” Gwen said, “Came back to Earth the moment she heard you got back. I’m surprised she’s not confronted you at all. She seemed like she had a piece of her mind to give you. I’ve tried to run interference, but…”
“...Yeesh. Thanks for the warning.” Ben said. The rest of the day after that was calm. He wandered the halls of the Plumber base. It was only while he was wrestling the alien vending machine that Kai came around for her confrontation.
She walked up, slammed a hand against the machine and shook it, before a drink popped out for Ben to drink, without so much as a word. Ben was so excited about the drink as he quickly popped it open that he didn’t realize who his savior was until she cleared her throat.
He nearly jumped out of his skin.
“...Kai! Er, hi? Um, what are you doing… Right here? Don’t you have some stupid book to read?” He said instinctively. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
“Really, Ben? Six months, and that's the best you’ve got?”
“Hmph. Well, you surprised me!” He huffed, “What do you want?” Her face went through many expressions, most he wasn’t used to seeing on her. The one she settled on is one he was certain she’d never worn on her face once… A look of shame.
“Sorry I said I thought you were turning into a Yenaldooshi.” She said quickly, and her face reddened further with her shame, “And for purposefully flirting with your alien forms because I knew it’d annoy you as much as you were annoying me. It was… Wrong.” Ben blinked, caught totally off guard by the apology. She turned away.
“And, um, yeah. I guess I forgot like way too many people that there’s a human behind the Omnitrix. So, sorry about that. I get it if you don’t really like working with me. Thanks for doing it anyway… I’ll just get out of your hair now.” She began to quickly walk away, but Ben reacted quickly and without thinking, grabbing her arm.
“...You’re not even gonna let me respond to… That?” He asked incredulously, “What, did you lose a bet or something? Did Gwendolyn put you up to it? What’s the angle here?”
“None. I’ve traveled a lot lately. I learned a lot. I had a lot of time to think and reflect.” Kai admitted, still turned away from him, “I’ve been a jerk. Let my pride cloud my judgment. I didn’t let myself see I was wrong. Not until it was seemingly too late. But now I have a second chance. A chance to make things right. I just thought I’d… Make the most of it?” Ben considered it for a long moment.
Truthfully, Kai got on his nerves in the worst way a person could. Between the backhanded remarks, the belittling, and the flirting with his alien forms, plus that sour memory of his first real crush falling so quickly from grace… Ben couldn’t say that he wasn’t skeptical about Kai at all times. And she hadn’t even tried to kill him! She had literally always fought on the same team as him, and he struggled to get along with her more than most of his enemies.
Yet here she was… Apologizing to him when he knew for a fact the jerkishness went both ways, and their ‘partnerships’ had been born from necessities and had to be mediated by Rook half the time. Frankly, he couldn’t believe it.
Then again, six years ago, he wouldn’t have thought Kevin would be one of his two best friends.
A little over six months ago, he wouldn’t have thought Albedo would be his big brother.
The truth was, people changed. Heck, Ben had changed!
“I hear there’s been a lot of reflection going around lately. You’re not alone.” Ben admitted, “I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been away too… I know I’m a jerk, Kai. You don’t need to sugar coat it. I know I’m hard to work with and I’m arrogant. I probably always will be, not going to lie, but I do try to work on it. I don’t really process a lot of…” Ben motioned around himself broadly, “This in the best way. That’s something I’ve been working through. That’s not really an excuse, I guess. But that’s just how it is… I guess what I’m trying to say… is we’ve both been jerks, okay? We’ve both gotten on each other’s nerves and we both have said things we know we shouldn’t have said. That’s… Well… It’s not okay, but I think if we acknowledge it and try to work past it we can… I dunno, get a smoothie every so often without wanting to kill each other?”
Kai looked back at him, studying him up and down.
“A smoothie? Really?” She said with an eye roll, “That’s the best you’ve got?”
Ben shrugged.
“They’re my love language. I share my love of smoothies with all. It is my secondary mission in life.” Kai snorted as he gestured dramatically as he stated this. She then shook her head and smiled.
“Yeah. I guess so then… Just… Don’t be afraid to call me out for that stuff in the future, okay? I value my pride a lot, but I know sometimes it can make me come off wrong or say things I probably shouldn’t.” Kai said, “If you say I’m being rude, tell me and I’ll try to back down. I figure those past missions aren’t going to be the last time we work together and I want our future team ups to be more… Productive, you know?”
“Fair enough. Only if you tell me when I’m being too big of a jerk.” Ben agreed with a nod.
“Deal.” Kai agreed firmly, “Glad we talked.”
“Yeah.” Ben agreed, surprised that he actually meant it. She walked off and he processed the fact that he’d actually had a productive, not argumentative conversation with one Kai Green.
It was a miracle that surpassed the creation of the Omnitrix, for sure.
“She really stepped up when you left.” Ben once more was startled out of his thoughts as he realized Azmuth had appeared next to him and was watching Kai walk away, “Better than I did. She saw the need for a hero just as much as I and she stepped into the role and Rook rallied others to do the same. In a way, even in death you managed to change the Universe for the better.”
“And where were you for all of that?” Ben asked, looking down at the Galvan, “They told me you disappeared too.”
“I feared my involvement would only make things worse.” Azmuth sighed, “The Omnitrix experiment has been both my greatest success and failure. So many relied on it. So many reacted when it was seemingly lost. Many more took advantage of your alleged demise. I feared I’d orchestrated a mess I did not know how to resolve.”
Ben wanted to call him out. To tell him that he was stupid for giving up on the Universe so quickly yet again. However, Ben didn’t know if he had the energy for that argument right then. Instead, he switched topics altogether.
“...Albedo’s gone.” Ben said, his tone careful as he watched Azmuth’s expression. Galvan took the news in stride, clearly struggling to keep his face composed and his expression uncaring.
“Then I suppose Galvan Prime puts to rest a very confused and bitter soul.” Azmuth decided.
“That’s all you have to say about him?” Ben asked.
“What more is there to say?” Azmuth asked, “He disgraced the name of the Galvans in his hunger for vengeance. He never did learn.”
“And neither did you.” Ben huffed. This made Azmuth jerk his head up to stare at Ben with wide eyed bewilderment, as if he couldn’t believe Ben had the gall to say something so bold.
“Don’t act surprised.” Ben said, “You’re smart. Everyone knows you're smart. And yes, you are wise too. You have good advice and you see the Universe in a way no one else can see it. But a wise Galvan once told me that ‘you don’t learn anything when you win.’ and that you can ‘let that one loss define you from now on, or, you can learn from it.’ But all you ever do is let your mistakes define you. You let your mistakes shape you into this bitter, grumpy old Galvan that pushes his assistants away and hides when things get too hard. You failed with Ascalon. You failed with the Omnitrix. You failed with Malware. And ultimately, you failed with Albedo. But all you’ve done as a result of failures is regret making those mistakes. You never learned from them. So you’re just going to keep making them. Your inventions change the Universe. They are intended for the greater good. But how can they get any better if you're too busy regretting where you went wrong?”
Azmuth was clearly stunned. He closed and opened his mouth a few times before finally nodding.
“...Using my own words against me. You’ve grown a little since we’ve last spoken, haven’t you? I’m not sure where you were or what happened to you, but something’s changed. I can tell the universe will be better for it.”
“I hope so.” Ben agreed.
“That being said, I suppose you’re right.” Azmuth agreed, “I’ve struggled to learn from these failures. It’s often hard to see past where things went wrong and to make the amends needed to make those wrongs right. It’s even harder to learn in the face of my failures. I am proud. I don’t like thinking about how I have failed, and yet sometimes, it is all I can think about. But you don’t learn by doing that.”
“No. You don’t.” Ben agreed, before his expression softened, “And… I understand if losing Albedo isn’t easy for you. It’s fine for you to be sad about it.” Azmuth didn’t rise to the offer to grieve.
“Hmm.” Azmuth mused instead, “It’s good seeing you alive Ben Tennyson. If you have any reconsideration about being my champion, I will gladly relieve you of the burden of the Omnitrix once more, but only if you wish it.”
“Nah. I’m good.” Ben said, “It’s a pain sometimes, but I’m glad to have it.” Azmuth studied Ben for a moment longer before letting out a small sigh.
“Then, goodbye for now… And welcome home.” With a blink of an eye, Azmuth was gone.