Chapter 82: Got Scammed
Gwen stared at him, the heavy silence of the Sanctum amplifying the weight of his words. For the first time since she had crashed into this universe, the frantic, hunted look in her eyes began to fade, replaced by a flicker of genuine hope.
"Squash the bugs," Gwen repeated, a slow, exhausted smirk finally breaking through. "You're insanely arrogant, you know that?"
"It's not arrogance if I can back it up," Ethan winked. He clapped his hands together, the sharp sound echoing through the foyer. "Now, go take a hot shower and get some rest. You smell like Brooklyn sewer water. I've got some administrative work to do."
Gwen rolled her eyes, but she picked up her torn mask and headed for the stairs. "Don't burn the house down while I'm gone, Merlin."
Once she disappeared down the hall, Ethan let out a long exhale and dropped back onto the leather sofa. His confident facade slipped just a fraction. He had the magic, sure. He had Dumbledore's century of combat experience and spatial manipulation that made the local physics engine cry.
But hunting interdimensional cosmic vampires? That required tech. It required multi-versal tracking, containment units, and a level of science that Dumbledore's brain simply couldn't process.
He needed to understand those Hoi-Poi capsule blueprints. He needed a genius.
"System," Ethan muttered, swiping a hand to bring up his glowing blue interface. "Pull up the inventory. It's time."
He tapped the flashing golden icon sitting in the corner of his screen.
[ Item Selected: Random Template Ticket (x1) ]
"Listen to me, you degenerate machine," Ethan whispered, leaning forward and clasping his hands together like he was praying. "Give something decent."
[ Redeeming Random Template Ticket... ]
[ Accessing the Multiversal Database... ]
[ Rolling... ]
A blinding, iridescent green light erupted behind Ethan's eyelids. It wasn't the golden warmth of Dumbledore; this was a sharp, kinetic, sci-fi neon glare. A silhouette began to form—a young man in a white and green jacket, standing cocky with his hands on his hips.
[ SSR Character Drawn: Benjamin Kirby Tennyson (Ben 10 Universe) ]
[ Current Sync: 10% ]
[ Bonus Unlocked: 'Plumber Basic Training & Peak Human Agility' (Passive) ]
Ethan's eyes snapped open. He stopped breathing.
"Ben 10?" Ethan whispered. His voice trembled. Then, a massive, unhinged grin split his face. "Ben fucking 10?!"
He leaped off the sofa, pumping his fists into the air.
"YES! Oh my god, yes!" Ethan cheered, doing a victory lap around the coffee table. "Alien X! Way Big! Clockwork! I am a literal god! Inheritors? Cosmic vampires? I'll just step on them! I'll turn into a giant cosmic dinosaur and play golf with their mothership! The multiverse is MINE!"
A surge of energy flooded his veins. He felt lighter, his reflexes sharpening to a razor's edge. Decades of Plumber martial arts, hoverboard acrobatics, and raw, instinctual combat tactics snapped into his brain. It wasn't magic; it was the pure, unadulterated muscle memory of the Savior of the Universe.
"Gwen!" Ethan yelled up the stairs, completely giddy. "Spider problem is officially canceled! I'm about to turn into a fiery alien plant and roast those freaks!"
He struck a heroic pose, channeling his inner teenager, and slammed his right hand down onto his left wrist, fully expecting to feel the cold, heavy metal of the most powerful weapon in the universe.
Smack.
Flesh hit flesh.
Ethan froze. He slowly lifted his right hand.
He stared at his left wrist. There was nothing there. Just smooth, bare skin and a faint tan line.
"Wait," Ethan muttered, his heart dropping into his stomach. He patted his wrist. He rolled up his sleeves. He patted his other wrist just to be sure. "Where is it? Where's the watch?"
He frantically swiped open the System interface.
[ Current Template: Benjamin Kirby Tennyson ]
Sync Rate: 10%
Abilities Acquired: Plumber Hand-to-Hand Combat, Photographic Reflexes, Extreme Smooth-Talking, Exceptional Hoverboard Skills.
"System," Ethan said, his voice dangerously low. "Where is the Omnitrix?"
[ System Note: The Omnitrix is classified as an 'External SSR Artifact.' It is not a biological trait of the host. You drew Ben Tennyson, the human. Congratulations on acquiring a green jacket and an annoying personality. ]
[ The Omnitrix is available in the System Shop. Price: 500,000 System Points. ]
The silence in the Sanctum was deafening.
Ethan stood in the center of the foyer, staring at his bare wrist. The sheer, unfathomable cruelty of the situation washed over him. He had the muscle memory of a guy who fought warlords in space, but without the watch, he was just a very athletic guy who knew how to punch hard.
"You gave me the kid," Ethan whispered, his left eye twitching uncontrollably. "You gave me the kid... without the fucking watch?!"
"Ethan?"
Gwen was standing at the top of the grand staircase, a towel wrapped around her wet hair. She stared down at him. She had rushed out of the bathroom when she heard him screaming about cosmic dinosaurs, only to find the "Master of the Mystic Arts" standing in the middle of the room, violently slapping his own bare wrist and looking like he was about to burst into tears.
"Are... are you okay?" she asked cautiously, slowly backing away. "Did you take something while I was upstairs?"
Ethan slowly looked up at her, his expression a mask of pure, existential agony.
"I'm a regular guy, Gwen," Ethan said, his voice completely dead. "I have the combat skills of a teenager, and my watch is missing. The multiverse hates me."
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