**Chapter 16: Unboxing While Connected**
"Okay, just because you know Superman's identity doesn't mean you know all of our identities. I bet you absolutely can't guess mine!"
As Batman spoke to end the topic of Superman's identity, Shazam still didn't believe that Ben knew the true identities of most heroes, especially his own.
Being able to switch freely between the appearance of an adult and a child, Billy believed that unless someone saw it with their own eyes, no one could discover his identity.
Facing Shazam's provocation, Ben didn't care and just chuckled in response: "Billy Batson, 15 years old."
"Huh? You're 15?"
Hearing Ben's words, and looking at the big guy next to him who was a few centimeters taller than himself, Hal Jordan had a look of disbelief on his face. Could this be a fifteen-year-old boy?
"Victor!"
Shazam looked at Cyborg in disbelief. Among the heroes present, only Cyborg had seen him change back to his original form; it was a secret between them.
"I didn't reveal it!"
Hearing Ben casually state Shazam's true identity, Cyborg had a surprised look on his face. Noticing Shazam's reaction, he hurriedly waved his hands to indicate that he had never revealed Shazam's true identity to anyone else.
"Cyborg didn't tell me your identity. Before I met you guys, I knew your identities and abilities. I know far more than Cyborg does. For example, you were granted power by the wizard Shazam at the Rock of Eternity."
To prevent conflict between Cyborg and Shazam for nonexistent reasons, Ben immediately testified for Cyborg, saying he knew Shazam's identity even earlier than Cyborg did.
"Alright, I believe you." Hearing Ben mention an experience he had never told anyone else, Billy could only believe that the other party really knew everything. "You've practically seen right through me!"
"If that's the case, then Shazam's somewhat childish behavior makes sense."
Seeing Shazam admit his identity and knowing that the other party was really just a fifteen-year-old boy, Wonder Woman finally understood why Shazam didn't act like a warrior at all in the previous battle.
After all, he was really just a child.
"What about me? Do you know who I am?"
Seeing Ben reveal the true identities of Superman and Shazam one after another, The Flash, sitting next to Hal, raised his hand curiously to ask.
"Of course! Barry Allen, the Fastest Man Alive. Although in your stories, there's always a faster villain showing up."
Since The Flash asked, Ben naturally leaned back in his chair and answered directly, while teasingly referencing The Flash's TV series.
"Reverse-Flash isn't faster than me."
Hearing Ben's response, The Flash thought the other party was talking about the villain Reverse-Flash, and he expressed strong disagreement.
Regarding The Flash's reaction, Ben just stretched and revealed a mysterious smile he had just learned from Batman. "There will be more speedster villains waiting for you."
Hearing Ben reveal the heroes' secrets one by one, Batman's deep eyes fixed on the teenager, and he asked.
"What about you? Ben Tennyson, where do you and your watch come from? And why do you know so much?"
"Finally asked. I thought you'd changed your personality!"
Hearing Batman speak, Ben, who never intended to hide his identity but hadn't found the right opportunity to say it, teased Batman before looking at Superman.
"Superman, you must have encountered an enemy called Mxyzptlk, right? The reason I know your identities is pretty much the same as his."
Superman was naturally deeply impressed by the Mxyzptlk Ben mentioned.
That guy was a real trouble magnet. His ability to rewrite reality and his love for pranks brought Superman a lot of trouble.
Fortunately, as long as he made the other party say or write his name backwards, he would be sent back to the Fifth Dimension and wouldn't appear again for a long time.
"Yes, he is a being from the Fifth Dimension. He knows my identity; he says we are all characters in a story."
Recalling his previous exchanges with Mxyzptlk, Superman looked at Ben in front of him with some surprise.
"Are you also from the Fifth Dimension?"
"No, I'm not a being from the Fifth Dimension." When Superman asked if he was from the Fifth Dimension like Mxyzptlk, Ben gently shook his head.
He just used Mxyzptlk as an example to make it easier for Superman to accept what he was going to say next.
"To be precise, I'm more like an Earthling from a parallel universe. But in my world, you guys are characters in movies and anime. Even my watch comes from another animated work."
"..."
Ben's words instantly silenced the conference room. Life being just a work for others to browse—this setting was indeed a bit hard to accept.
With Mxyzptlk as an example, Superman didn't struggle too much with it. Similarly, Batman seemed to have anticipated Ben's answer.
"We are just characters in a story?"
Hearing Ben's answer, Hal found it somewhat unacceptable. Even with willpower as firm as his, he felt his worldview was about to collapse.
"Then what is the meaning of our battles?"
Seeing the troubled looks on everyone's faces, Ben, having finally said what had been suppressed in his heart for a long time, spoke up to comfort everyone.
"There's no need to think so much. Just live in the moment. Perhaps that author just wrote a series of stories, and it just so happens that the protagonists in the stories are similar to you in another world."
"What is the ending of the story?"
Compared to watching his companions react to being anime characters, Batman directly asked Ben about their ending.
"I don't know the current plot direction. If I could, I would also want to go straight back to my original world. Although I didn't have the Omnitrix in that world, at least it was much safer than this disaster-prone world."
Facing Batman's inquiry, Ben just shook his head gently. Being a Deadpool-like character next door wasn't that easy.
When he appeared as a variable, the story's plot began to move in a completely different direction. As a member of the plot, Ben could only tell what he knew as much as possible to help the heroes change their tragic endings.
"As for the original plot, if I remember correctly, everyone will be nearly wiped out due to a reckless raid. Even if Darkseid is ultimately defeated, the Earth will be on the verge of collapse. Finally, under the instigation of a certain scum exorcist, The Flash will restart the entire universe. Then the plot after the restart is even worse, and then it continues to restart..."