The private dimension was silent.
Almost too silent.
Ben stood in the laboratory, staring at the holographic map floating in front of him.
Twenty-three signals.
Twenty-three people.
Twenty-three unknown stories.
He folded his arms.
"That's a lot."
Peter stood beside him.
"Yeah."
Ben zoomed in on the map.
The dots moved slightly as the system updated their locations.
Some were stable.
Some were fluctuating.
One had already disappeared.
Peter pointed at it.
"What does that mean?"
"Either the signal stopped..."
Ben paused.
"...or something happened to them."
Peter's expression became serious.
"We need to find them."
Ben looked at him.
"Eventually."
Peter frowned.
"Eventually?"
"We don't even know what we're dealing with."
"You said you wanted to help them."
"I do."
"Then why wait?"
Ben turned toward Peter.
"Because helping someone isn't the same thing as finding them."
Peter was quiet.
Ben continued.
"If we rush in without understanding their situation, we could make things worse."
Peter nodded slowly.
"Fair."
Ben smiled.
"Besides, we have someone here who needs our attention first."
They both looked toward the observation room.
Eli was awake.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed.
He looked confused.
And nervous.
Eli
Ben entered the room.
Eli immediately looked up.
"Where's Peter?"
"Outside."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to talk to you alone."
Eli became tense.
Ben noticed.
"Relax."
Eli looked at his hands.
"I don't know how."
Ben sat across from him.
"That's okay."
Silence followed.
Finally, Eli spoke.
"Am I a freak?"
Ben didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he asked:
"Do you want the honest answer?"
Eli nodded.
"You've developed an ability that nobody around you understands."
Eli looked down.
"So yes."
Ben leaned forward.
"But that doesn't make you a freak."
Eli looked at him.
"It makes you different."
"What's the difference?"
"The first one is an insult."
Ben smiled.
"The second one is a fact."
Eli thought about it.
"What happened to me?"
"We don't know yet."
"Can you fix it?"
"No."
Eli's shoulders dropped.
"But I can help you understand it."
Eli looked at Ben.
"Why are you helping me?"
Ben smiled.
"Because I know what it's like to wake up with something you don't understand."
Eli stared at him.
"You?"
Ben looked at the Omnitrix.
"This isn't exactly normal."
Eli looked at the device.
"What is that?"
Ben smiled.
"That's a very long story."
Eli almost laughed.
"Everything with you seems to be a long story."
"Pretty much."
The Test
Ben brought Eli into the laboratory.
Peter joined them.
Lyra appeared beside the main console.
"Eli," Ben said, "we're going to perform a few tests."
Eli looked nervous.
"Will it hurt?"
"No."
Ben looked at Peter.
"Probably."
Peter stared at him.
"That's not reassuring."
Ben laughed.
"Relax. The tests are harmless."
Eli sat in a chair.
Ben activated several scanners.
The first scan completed.
BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE: HUMAN
MUTATION: NONE DETECTED
Ben stopped.
He stared at the screen.
Peter noticed.
"What?"
Ben shook his head.
"Nothing."
He started another scan.
ENERGY ABSORPTION: ACTIVE
ELECTROMAGNETIC CONVERSION: ACTIVE
CELLULAR ADAPTATION: 4.7%
Ben's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
Eli looked at him.
"What?"
"Your cells are changing."
Eli immediately became nervous.
"Changing how?"
"Adapting."
"To what?"
Ben looked at the energy readings.
"Your own power."
Peter stepped closer.
"Is that bad?"
"Not necessarily."
Ben continued analyzing.
"Your body is learning how to handle the energy."
Eli looked at his hands.
"So I'll get stronger?"
"Maybe."
"Or?"
Ben hesitated.
"Or your body could become unstable."
Eli's expression fell.
Peter immediately spoke.
"Then we'll make sure that doesn't happen."
Ben nodded.
"Exactly."
The First Lesson
Ben created a small metal sphere.
He placed it on the table.
"Touch it."
Eli looked confused.
"What?"
"Touch the sphere."
Eli slowly placed his hand against it.
Nothing happened.
Then—
BZZZT.
Blue energy traveled from his hand into the sphere.
The sphere began glowing.
Ben watched the readings.
"Interesting."
Peter leaned over.
"What's happening?"
"He's transferring energy."
Eli pulled his hand away.
The sphere stopped glowing.
Ben smiled.
"Good."
Eli stared at him.
"Good?"
"You just controlled it."
"I didn't do anything."
"Exactly."
Ben pointed at the sphere.
"You didn't panic."
Eli smiled slightly.
"I guess."
Ben created another object.
This one was connected to a small battery.
"Now absorb the energy."
Eli hesitated.
"How?"
"Don't think about taking it."
"What should I think about?"
"Think about opening your hand."
Eli slowly raised his palm.
The battery began draining.
The blue energy around his hand appeared.
Ben watched carefully.
ENERGY ABSORPTION: STABLE
CONTROL: 12%
Ben smiled.
"Good."
Peter smiled too.
Eli looked at his hand.
"I did it."
Ben nodded.
"You did."
For the first time since his powers appeared...
Eli looked proud instead of afraid.
A Normal Day
The next morning, Ben returned to Midtown High.
Peter walked beside him.
Eli stayed inside the private dimension.
For now.
Peter looked at Ben.
"So what's the plan?"
"School."
Peter stared.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"We have twenty-three superpowered people scattered across the country."
"Possibly."
"Project Eclipse is monitoring them."
"Probably."
"We have an unknown organization looking for some kind of dimensional door."
"Definitely."
Peter shook his head.
"And you're going to school."
Ben smiled.
"I'm seventeen."
Peter sighed.
"Right."
"You know, normal people go to school."
"We're not normal."
Ben looked at him.
"Speak for yourself."
Peter laughed.
They entered the school building.
Ned immediately approached them.
"There you guys are!"
Ben smiled.
"Morning, Ned."
Ned looked between them.
"You two have been disappearing a lot lately."
Peter froze.
Ben remained calm.
"Study group."
Ned frowned.
"You hate study groups."
Peter looked at Ben.
Ben looked at Peter.
"We've changed."
Ned narrowed his eyes.
"That's suspicious."
Peter laughed nervously.
"You're imagining things."
Ned walked away.
Ben whispered:
"That was close."
Peter nodded.
"Too close."
Neither noticed Ned looking back at them.
Lunch
Peter opened his lunch.
Ben sat across from him.
Ned was talking about school.
Ben wasn't listening.
His attention was on the small device inside his pocket.
The Omnitrix had detected something.
A tiny pulse.
Ben activated the device beneath the table.
A message appeared.
ANOMALOUS ENERGY DETECTED
RANGE: 3.2 KM
Ben frowned.
Peter noticed.
"What?"
"Another signal."
Peter's expression changed.
"Here?"
"Close."
"Should we go?"
Ben shook his head.
"Not during school."
Peter sighed.
"You really like rules now."
"I like not getting expelled."
Peter nodded.
"Fair."
The bell rang.
Students began leaving the cafeteria.
Ben stood.
Then—
BEEP.
The Omnitrix changed.
Ben stopped.
The message disappeared.
A new one appeared.
SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION UPDATED
UNKNOWN
Ben stared at it.
That wasn't normal.
The Omnitrix had classified Eli as a biological anomaly.
This was different.
Ben whispered:
"What are you?"
The Laboratory
That afternoon, Ben entered his private dimension.
Lyra was already waiting.
"You felt it."
Ben nodded.
"Something changed."
Lyra brought up the data.
"The signal disappeared."
Ben frowned.
"Completely?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"I don't know."
Ben stared at the screen.
The signal had vanished.
Not weakened.
Not moved.
Vanished.
Peter entered.
"Anything?"
Ben shook his head.
"Nothing."
Peter looked at the screen.
"So we lost another one."
"Maybe."
Peter looked at Ben.
"Maybe?"
Ben pointed at the readings.
"There was no movement."
Peter understood.
"So whoever it was didn't leave."
"Correct."
"Then..."
Ben finished the sentence.
"They were taken."
Silence filled the room.
Project Eclipse
Deep beneath an unknown facility, a young woman sat inside a containment chamber.
Her wrists were restrained.
Energy surrounded her body.
A scientist watched from behind glass.
"Subject twenty-three is stable."
Dr. Voss entered.
"Good."
The scientist looked at him.
"Should we begin testing?"
Voss shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
Voss looked at the young woman.
"Because we're missing something."
"What?"
Voss smiled.
"The variable."
The scientist looked confused.
Voss continued.
"Ben Stuart."
The First Choice
That night, Ben stood alone in the laboratory.
He looked at the twenty-three signals.
One had disappeared.
Another had gone silent.
Eli was safe.
But how long would that last?
Ben looked at the Omnitrix.
He had enough power to travel anywhere.
He had enough intelligence to solve most problems.
He had a private dimension.
Infinite resources.
An arsenal capable of destroying armies.
But none of that answered the most important question.
What should he do?
He could stay out of everything.
Live his life.
Go to school.
Be Peter's friend.
Train.
Eventually meet the heroes he knew were coming.
Or...
He could interfere.
He could search for the anomalies.
He could protect them.
He could fight Project Eclipse.
But doing that would change the future.
Maybe permanently.
Ben closed his eyes.
Then he smiled.
"I didn't get a second life just to sit around."
The Omnitrix glowed.
DECISION RECORDED
Ben opened his eyes.
A new option appeared.
ANOMALY NETWORK
PURPOSE: PROTECTION / MONITORING / ASSISTANCE
CREATE?
Ben stared at it.
Then pressed the Omnitrix.
YES.
The laboratory changed.
A massive holographic interface appeared.
The twenty-three signals became connected.
One by one, new information appeared.
Locations.
Energy levels.
Threat ratings.
Potential.
Ben looked at the system.
"Okay."
Peter walked into the laboratory.
"What did you do?"
Ben smiled.
"I made a choice."
Peter looked at the holographic map.
"What's this?"
Ben pointed toward the twenty-three signals.
"I'm going to find them."
Peter nodded.
"All of them?"
"Eventually."
"And then?"
Ben looked at Eli through the observation window.
"Then I'll give them a choice."
Peter smiled.
"Choice?"
"Yeah."
Ben looked back at the map.
"They can walk away."
Peter raised an eyebrow.
"And if they don't?"
Ben smiled.
"Then we'll see what happens."
Peter looked at the map again.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Peter extended his hand.
Ben looked at it.
"What?"
Peter smiled.
"If you're doing this..."
He waited.
Ben understood.
He shook Peter's hand.
"Partners."
Peter nodded.
"Partners."
Neither of them noticed the tiny red light hidden inside the laboratory wall.
A camera.
Watching.
Recording.
Transmitting.
Somewhere far away, Dr. Voss watched the two teenagers shake hands.
He smiled.
"Exactly as predicted."
Behind him, another screen activated.
A single message appeared.
PROJECT ECLIPSE
PHASE THREE AUTHORIZED
Voss stared at it.
Then looked at the image of Ben.
"The game has finally begun."