Chapter 7 - Episode 7: Temporal Echoes

Ben, as Ultimate Alien X, felt the immense power coursing through him, yet he was still trapped within Eon's temporal prison. Bellicus and Serena, his internal voices, remained silent observers, unable to directly interfere. He could see Eon in the distance, his silhouette stark against the backdrop of the bizarre, purple-skied dimension. The giant machine hummed with ominous energy, its purpose terrifyingly clear: to rewrite history itself. Professor Paradox's warning echoed in his mind: *The universe will be destroyed!* The weight of that knowledge was almost unbearable. He had to act, and fast. But how could he defeat a being who controlled time within his own domain? He focused his thoughts, trying to formulate a plan. He was Ultimate Alien X, capable of altering reality itself. But even with such immense power, Eon's temporal manipulation posed a unique challenge. Any direct assault could be easily predicted and countered. He needed to be subtle, to find a loophole, a way to disrupt Eon's control over this dimension. He observed his surroundings, trying to understand the nature of Eon's power. The floating islands, the strange flora, the distorted physics – everything was a reflection of Eon's will. If he could find the source of that will, the nexus point of Eon's control, he might have a chance to break free and stop him. He closed his eyes, delving deep into his own consciousness, searching for a connection to this alien reality. He felt the echoes of time, the ripples of causality, the threads of possibility stretching out in every direction. It was a chaotic tapestry, woven with Eon's power, yet still vulnerable to disruption. He reached out with his mind, probing the fabric of this dimension, searching for its weak points. He found them: small temporal anomalies, glitches in Eon's control, remnants of past realities that had resisted his influence. These were his opportunities. He focused his power, amplifying these anomalies, creating tiny tears in the fabric of time. The floating islands began to tremble, the purple sky flickered, and the giant machine sputtered. Eon turned, his eyes widening in surprise. He sensed the disruption, the challenge to his authority. "You cannot resist me, Tennyson!" he shouted, his voice distorted by temporal energy. "This is *my* dimension! I control everything here!" He raised his hand, and the tears in time began to heal. The floating islands stabilized, the sky cleared, and the giant machine hummed with renewed power. But Ben had achieved his goal. He had created a diversion, a distraction that allowed him to move unnoticed. He focused his attention to a location further off into the distance, and then teleports. He then sees a giant coliseum where people are being forced to fight. This is all being broadcasted by Eon, and people from across the galaxy are watching for entertainment. The people fighting inside are unable to stop. Ultimate Alien X thinks that if he is able to destroy this coliseum, he will be able to free many people. He starts to head in that direction. Flying as fast as he can, Eon is able to catch up to him quickly and confronts him again. "Why do you continue to resist! I am trying to save the universe, why are you stopping me?" Ultimate Alien X simply retorts, "What you are doing is wrong! These people do not deserve to be forced into this fighting arena! I have to stop you!" Eon and Ben prepare to clash once again. Eon teleports to a nearby floating island and starts to control it, as he summons it at Ben. Ben quickly reacts by using his powers to disintegrate it. He then appears behind Eon, and is able to land a punch on him! The power is so strong that it sends Eon hurtling across the dimension. Eon then stops himself from falling, and starts to prepare his next attack. This time, instead of confronting him directly, Eon decides to rewind time to undo the attacks that Ben previously landed on him. Ben notices this happening, and prepares a countermeasure. As Eon finishes rewinding time, Ben teleports away. Eon is shocked at how quickly Ben reacted to counter his attacks. "He is becoming stronger every second! If I don't stop him here, all of my plans will be ruined!" Knowing this, Eon prepares a final resort. He teleports himself and Ben into the time machine that he was previously building. "Here, inside this time machine, I will be able to defeat you once and for all!" Ben looks around and sees the machine. He realizes that Eon plans to use this machine to erase him from existence. Ben cannot let that happen. He then rushes at Eon. Eon pushes a button, and time inside the time machine starts to go berserk! Ben and Eon are both struggling as the time is constantly shifting around them. It is almost impossible to move, but Ben is able to push through and land a punch on Eon! Eon is sent flying into the time machine console, and breaks the glass! The machine starts to go out of control, and the two are forced to try and escape. With the last of his strength, Ben is able to open up a portal, as he jumps through it. As he is traveling through the portal, he looks back and sees Eon being disintegrated by the time machine as it explodes! Ben is relieved that he was able to defeat Eon, but he is also worried. The time machine exploded with too much energy. As Ben arrives back into the Null Void, he notices that everything is collapsing! He has to hurry and escape before the Null Void implodes on itself. He looks around and sees Vilgax. Ben quickly grabs him and creates a portal back to the Plumber Headquarters. Ben knows that Vilgax will cause trouble again, but he can't let him die. Everyone deserves a chance to live. As Ben returns, he is greeted by Gwen and Kevin. They look at him with worry, and are relieved to see that he is okay. "Ben, what happened! We tried contacting you, but the signal was lost!" Ben explains everything that happened, and Gwen and Kevin are shocked. They can't believe that Ben was able to defeat Eon, and save the universe. But they are also worried about the Null Void collapsing. They know that they have to do something, but they don't know what. Ben tells them to prepare, because he does not know what to expect next. As soon as he finishes talking, all of a sudden he hears a loud crash. The Plumber Headquarters is under attack! They rush outside and see that it is the corrupted Diamondheads! "How are they still alive? I thought I defeated them all!" Gwen notices a familiar face among the Diamondheads, Dr. Animo! Gwen angrily remarks, "That fiend! He's back!" But then Ben notices that Dr. Animo is being controlled. "Someone else is controlling them, we have to free Animo before its too late!" As Ben looks over to a nearby building, he notices a shadowy figure standing on top of it. The shadowy figure raises his hand, and the Diamondheads start attacking with more ferocity! Ben glances over to Gwen and Kevin, with a solemn expression. "Looks like things are about to get worse." As Ben braces for the next battle, he prepares the Ultimatrix. Ready to turn into whoever he needs to be, he is ready for whatever comes at him. Ben Tennyson never backs down from a fight, and he will always protect his friends and family. Even if it means sacrificing himself. The shadowy figure on the building top is a mystery, but Ben is sure that he will find out who it is soon enough. He only knows that this will be a dangerous opponent, and he has to be careful. The fate of the universe may depend on it. The Diamondheads are closing in fast, and Ben knows that he has to act quickly. The shadowy figure laughs ominously, as Ben prepares to fight. He knows this is going to be a long battle, and he has to be ready for anything. As the Diamondheads get closer, Ben makes one final remark. "It's hero time!" He then slams down on the Ultimatrix, ready for the next transformation. The next part of the adventure is about to begin! What will happen next? Find out soon! As Ben starts transforming, a beam comes out of the sky and separates Ben from Gwen and Kevin! Ben is transported to an unknown location. As Ben appears in this new location, he is greeted by Albedo! Albedo smirks and says "I have been waiting for you, Tennyson." Ben stares in shock, knowing that Albedo is always up to no good. As Albedo and Ben are face to face, a strange man in armor comes and stands next to Albedo. Albedo smiles and says to Ben, "Let me introduce you to someone, this is my master." The armored man stands tall, and looks down at Ben. "Hello Ben Tennyson." As the armored man takes off his helmet, Ben's eyes widen in shock. It is Paradox! But how? This cannot be Professor Paradox. But it is. Paradox smirks and says to Ben, "I know you are confused, let me explain everything." Paradox then signals Albedo, and Albedo presses a button. Ben is frozen in time. "I needed you out of the way, so I can finally fulfill my goals." Now that Ben is out of the way, what is Paradox planning to do? Will he be able to accomplish his goals? And what will happen to Ben? Will he be stuck in time forever? Find out next time! It's all coming to a head. The fight has only just begun. With Paradox and Albedo teaming up, Ben is going to need a miracle to escape this one. The end of the world may be closer than he expects…But more allies may come to his aid. Only time will tell. As Albedo and Paradox leave Ben frozen, a figure appears behind him. The figure approaches Ben, and unfreezes him. "I know you are confused. But follow me, I will explain everything. There is no time to waste." Ben nods in agreement and goes with the figure. The figure leads Ben to a secret location, where many familiar faces await him. Max, Gwen, Kevin, and many other heroes. Ben is relieved to see them, but he is also still confused. "What is going on? Why is Paradox evil? And what are we going to do?" Max steps forward and says, "It's a long story, but we will explain everything. Paradox has been planning this for a long time, and we need to stop him before it's too late. He is planning to use the time machine to rewrite history, and create a world where he is the ruler. But we cannot let that happen. We will fight him, and we will win." Ben is inspired by Max's words, and he knows that they have to do everything they can to stop Paradox. The fate of the universe depends on it. Gwen steps forward and says, "We have a plan, but we need your help Ben. We need you to be the one to stop Paradox. You are the only one who can do it." Ben nods in agreement, and he is ready to fight. He will do whatever it takes to save the universe. But what will happen next? And will they be able to stop Paradox? The adventure continues…