A few days after all that chaos in the principal's office, my life... changed.
But not just a little. It changed completely.
I woke up early on a Saturday, even before the sun rose, with a flutter in my stomach—that good kind of nervousness, the kind you feel when you know you're about to do something incredible.
I got dressed quickly, backpack on my back, water bottle in hand, and went straight to the forest clearing where it all started. The place where the capsule crashed. Where I was reborn.
The air was still damp, with mist floating between the trees. The first rays of sunlight pierced the tall leaves, creating golden beams that danced across the ground. It was the perfect setting to train.
I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath. Focused the energy.
"Let's see who shows up today," I murmured, smiling.
The transformation began as always—a warm, electric current running through my chest, rising up to my neck. A sensation both alien and familiar. Like wearing a suit made of living energy.
When I opened my eyes, I was bigger. Much bigger.
Muscular red arms. Four of them. Four eyes. Four times the strength.
"Four Arms," I murmured, testing the deep voice that made the ground vibrate. "Time to warm up."
I ran through the field with brute speed, smashing fallen logs, lifting rocks like they were pillows. Every punch in the air created a gust that shook the trees. It was... liberating. Finally having a body that matched what I felt inside. Power. Control. Freedom.
Then I switched. XLR8. I turned into a blue blur with wheels for feet. The forest turned into a streak around me. I ran over logs, zipped around trees, slid along branches like rails.
Later, I used Diamondhead—my body turned into pure, faceted crystal, gleaming and reflecting the sunlight. I created spears, shields, protective towers. Every movement was calculated, precise, sharp.
Then I tested Heatblast again—feeling heat flow through me like molten magma. Flying with him was like dancing through a flaming hurricane. The fire was an extension of my will. Wherever I pointed, it obeyed.
And so it went... with each of the ten.
Stinkfly and his enhanced senses. Ripjaws, gliding through a nearby river as if
I was part of it. Ghostfreak, becoming invisible and phasing through trees. Each transformation, a new piece of me. A new world of possibilities.
But the strangest part ?
Was what happened outside the forest.
At school… things had flipped upside down.
The same kids who used to shove me in the hallways now avoided eye contact. Some even smiled at me. One of them—the one I threw against the wall—brought me a juice box with a note that read: "sorry."
The group that used to laugh at me now whispered nervously when I passed.
Even the girls started looking at me differently. I used to be invisible. Now, I was the mysterious kid with the "weird quirk." The talk of the week.
The teachers changed too. One of them pulled me aside after class and said:
"Ben… I heard you finally manifested a Quirk. Congratulations. I knew there was something special about you."
Lies. He barely remembered my name last week. But it was fine.
At home, my parents were... different.
My mom walked around with a light in her eyes I hadn't seen in years. She made me pancakes almost every day—"hero food," as she called it.
My dad stopped looking at me with pity and started talking about specialized schools, future plans, possibilities.
"Son, if you keep training like this… maybe someday you could even get into U.A.," he said one night during dinner.
I nearly choked on my rice.
But the best part… was looking in the mirror.
Seeing my eyes glow green when something awakened inside me. Feeling that finally, after so many years stuck in the shadows… I had my own light.
I wasn't just "Ben, the Quirkless" anymore.
Now I was Ben Tennyson. And I was getting stronger every day.
And the best part ?
This was just the beginning.
Months passed.
I trained until my bones ached, until my body collapsed, until my transformations became as natural as breathing. I learned every detail of my ten's abilities—as I call my aliens—learned to combine speed, strength, strategy, and how to handle the brutal exhaustion after multiple transformations.
And today… was the day.
The U.A. Entrance Exam.
The elite. The greatest hero school in the world. And there I was, standing before its massive gates, among hundreds of candidates, all with eyes shining with ambition, tension, and sweat.
I felt ready. But my heart still pounded like a war drum.
I took a deep breath. Adjusted my backpack. And stepped in.
Written exam.
Easy. For someone who had the memories of the original Earth and Ben 10, subjects like science, hero ethics, logic, and history were in the bag.
Pen gliding. Sharp mind. Total focus.
I finished quickly. Handed in the test with confidence and headed straight to the auditorium, where the second part awaited us: the practical exam.
Arena.
We were all gathered in a massive arena, surrounded by concrete, simulated buildings, and observation towers. The sun was harsh, and the heat mixed with the tension in the air.
The instructor explained the rules: destroy the highest number of robots within the time limit. Robots worth 1, 2, and 3 points. The zero-point robot, he said, was just a trap—best to avoid.
"~ Good luck ~" he said, smirking before sounding the alarm.
It began.
"Let's do this," I murmured, pounding my fist to my chest.
I activated the transformation. Green energy lit up my eyes and wrapped around my body like an electric field.
With a pulse of light, my body changed.
XLR8.
The world turned into a blur.
I ran between buildings, destroying 1-point robots with spinning kicks. Jumped off walls, landing precise hits on sensors. In seconds, I had left at least eight in pieces.
Switched.
Diamondhead.
My arms turned into crystal spears. A 3-point robot tried to trap me with a fire jet, but I raised a diamond wall and charged straight—piercing its metal chest and blowing it up in a shower of sparks.
Stinkfly.
With wings and sharp claws, I climbed a building, located more robots, and dove at high speed, slicing their heads off with surgical precision.
I was in a trance. One with my powers. One with my aliens.
My score kept climbing, and I felt like I could make it.
Then the ground shook.
The rumble echoed like thunder. A building collapsed. Dust filled the air.
Everyone turned to the same spot:
The zero-point robot.
A colossal machine, taller than any building in the arena, marching like an enraged titan.
"That's not worth it !" someone yelled.
Most ran. But I… I saw something. A girl trapped under a metal beam.
She wouldn't make it. No one would help her.
"Damn it…"
I focused. Energy surged through me like a controlled explosion.
HEATBLAST !
Green light. Fire. Heat.
My body turned into a living torch. I leapt forward, melting the debris around the girl. Lifted the beam like it was made of paper and got her out, shielding her behind a wall of fire I created.
But now the robot was coming for me. Red eyes. Mechanical fury.
I felt Heatblast's flame weaken. Not enough.
"All right… let's go with brute force then."
Again. The transformation raced down my spine. Energy roaring inside me.
FOUR ARMS !
Four arms. Muscles like steel. A primal roar escaped my throat.
I ran. Leapt. Every step made the ground quake.
"TRY THIS ON, TIN CAN !"
I launched myself with all four fists raised and struck the robot square in the chest. A punch strong enough to crack the concrete beneath us. The metal beast toppled like a felled tree, exploding in a wave of smoke, sparks, and gears.
Silence for a few seconds.
Then… applause. Cheers. Even the girl I rescued laughed with relief, tears in her eyes.
And I, standing over the wreckage of the zero-point robot, took a deep breath and let the transformation fade. The heat subsiding. Adrenaline still surging.
I smiled.
"U.A… I hope you're watching."
Because Ben Tennyson is here to stay.
[ U.A. Observation Room ]
Holographic screens displayed dozens of angles from the test arena. Teachers and examiners watched each candidate's movements closely, with individual feeds, real-time scores, and vitals being monitored.
Aizawa, arms crossed and eyes half-open, muttered:
"Hmph. Bakugou Katsuki… explosive, aggressive, no control. Possibly dangerous."
Midnight, smirking, nodded.
"Todoroki's doing well too. Cold as ice. Literally."
Cementoss, from the back of the room, pointed to another screen:
"Look at Iida. Excellent mobility, discipline, and tactical thinking. Very promising."
Present Mic laughed with excitement.
"That kid's like a rocket on legs ! YEAHHH !"
But then… the main screen changed.
"Wait," said Snipe, adjusting his hat. "Who's that ?"
The screen showed Ben, surrounded by wreckage, using Diamondhead, impaling two robots with crystal spears before quickly switching to Stinkfly and slicing another's legs with pinpoint accuracy.
"He's switching forms ?" asked Midnight, puzzled. "Is that a mutant quirk ?"
Aizawa narrowed his eyes.
"It's not a common quirk. The change is… strange. I've seen mutations, metamorphosis, but this is different."
Ben saved a girl from the rubble as Heatblast while the zero-point robot approached.
The room tensed.
Then, in front of everyone, Ben leapt into the air in flames, switching again.
Four Arms.
A brutal impact. The colossus fell.
The system instantly registered:
Zero-point target destroyed.
Score adjusted manually.
+Heroism. +Rescue. +Advanced Combat.
The room fell silent.
Then, from behind them…
All Might, in his muscular form, approached with an amazed smile.
"Hahaha ! Now that's something I haven't seen in years."
"You noticed too ?" said Aizawa, not looking away from the screen.
All Might crossed his arms, now serious.
"That boy… he has something extra. Determination, power… but also control. He saved the girl before attacking. Heroic judgment."
"Name ?" asked Vlad King.
Present Mic typed quickly and read aloud:
"Benjamin Tennyson. Quirk registered as 'Adaptive Biotransformation.' Classification… under review."
Aizawa looked at All Might.
"You thinking what I'm thinking ?"
All Might smiled. One of those smiles that sparkled with inspiration.
"He's going to be an excellent hero."
"I was going to say 'trouble,' but sure, let's go with what you said."