Ben reached the time machine and stood on it with Axel. They looked at Beatrice hammering the engine. Dexter looked away from her and stared at Ben. An evil grin covered his face, "Welcome, Benjamin."

Ben glared at him and Axel clicked his tongue, "Is that your little version?"
"Stop it, Dexter. Everything is over. Gotham is dead and your kingdom has fallen. Now, listen to me--"
"No, you listen to me." Dexter said, "Become mine, Ben. Do that and I'll stop all this."

Ben took a deep breath, "Listen, I'm an alien. That's why I lived for so long. My eyes turned pink in a research I did and not because of any surgery. The marks on my back are due to a mutation too. I've never done plastic surgery, on my planet, your face continues to change as you grow. Also, I have no interest in other breeds. Am I clear?"

"Ben, you're pretty mature, bro." Axel said.
"Thanks...bro," Ben said, awkwardly.
"You're an alien? Is this another lie?"
"Normal humans can't breathe underwater, nor can they live for so long--"
"You must have done something to achieve that. You think I'll buy a lie like that?"

"Listen, dude, fuck off already, man! Pew pew, your mermaid died and you lost, get ratioed, motherfucker! Take L!" Axel yelled.
"Shut  this kid up."
"Kid-I'm 13!"
"Ben, I don't believe you. Show me the proof."

Ben looked him and removed his shirt and tie. He then slowly brought his fingers over his eyes. He inserted them into the inner wall of his eyelids and stretched them out. Axel looked at him remove his human skin.

His real body wasn't pale and human-like, he had a navy blue, glossy skin, with purple scales all over it. His mouth was much wider and reached till his ears. He didn't have a nose but gills under his jaw. Though, he still had the same hair on his head.

Dexter gaped at him, "What in the world." His body had certain yellow dots all over it, which resembled stars in the blue universe. His pink eyes shone brightly on his blue skin.

"Wow..." Axel looked at Ben.
"Tell me now, do you still love me?"
"Heck no I don't, you creep!" Dexter took a step back with a disgusted look on his face, "Ew. What have I seen!"
Ben smiled.

"Your skin is so beautiful. I looks like it holds the universe." Axel looked at him as if he were a dream.

Ben smiled, "Thanks, Axel." He wore back his human skin and his clothes, "Keep this a secret from dad, though."
"You bet."

Dexter walked to him and grabbed his wrist. "I wonder how much would you sell for?"
"What?"
"Why not do a research on him?" Beatrice recommended.
"This is exactly why I didn't tell anyone who I was." Ben said.

"Hey! Stay away from Ben, you boomer!" Axel shouted.
Dexter looked into his pink eyes and smirked, "Beatrice, we are going back to the future, forever."
Ben's eyes widened and he tried to pull away, "No use, I'm wearing a strength belt."

"No!"
Beatrice gave one last strong hit to the floor and all the lights went down. The machine started falling down slowly.
"My time machine!" Ben shouted as Dexter pulled him towards the time portal.

"Leave me!" Ben kicked his feet as he dragged him. Axel grabbed his legs and pulled him back but Dexter was stronger due to the gadget he was wearing. The machine titled to the right as it fell.

But MiK and Norman grew in size--About 25 feet and held the time machine from its two ends.

Dexter was about to enter the portal when Valorie jumped before him.
"Valorie!" Axel shouted.
"I'll deal with you too, traitor." Dexter said and Beatrice attacked him.

Slaine looked at Asselyum.
"Her hand?" He looked around. Elron came running towards him with Asselyum's hand in his mouth.
"Elron!" Slaine smiled.
"Good boy," He took her hand and turned towards her, "But how do we fix her?"

"I'll fix her," Giles offered.

Valorie was busy fighting with Beatrice, while Ben and Axel fixed the engine. Suddenly, Dexter grabbed Ben from behind, broke his wine glass and placed it at his neck.
"I've had enough of this shit. Either come with me or I'm killing you."
"You ain't killing nobody, my nonce."
Axel had his belt into his hands.

Dexter looked at his waist, and then at Axel, "When did you get that, you brat?"
"Don't mess with kleptomaniacs." Axel smirked, "Stealing is our strongest suite."

"Oh shit," He left Ben but he grabbed his hand and turned towards him.
"Axel, could you fix that engine by yourself?"
"Of course, are you gonna be busy?" Axel smiled and Ben looked into Dexter's eyes.

"I might be a bit busy for a while." He pressed his hands on Dexter's chest.
"Understood, sir!" Axel continued fixing the engine while Ben loosened his tie, "Ben--"
He punched Dexter on his nose and he moved away, wobbling a bit, "I didn't quite feel that, get back here." Ben said as he pulled up his sleeves.

'Why are you doing this to me, Dexter?'
'I'm just playing a bit. Now come here.'
'Please leave me--'
'I said come here!'

He remembered all the embarrassment and pain he went through while he was with him. Now was the chance to pay everything back--Just like it came to him.

"Ben, wait--"
"Didn't you hear me? I said come here,"
"You're angry, aren't you?" Dexter slowly moved towards him.
"I'm not angry," Ben grabbed his hair. "I'm just playing a bit," He pulled his face down and kicked his eyes with his knees. Dexter couldn't see clearly after that and only felt strong hits on his body.

"You're strong," He coughed blood.
"Why thank you," Ben punched him in the stomach and hooked an elbow at his jaw, "Honestly, I'm not using my entire strength. Cause I want you to suffer slowly like me--Have a taste of your own medicine."

Axel worked calmly among that chaos. Dexter finally grabbed him and stood at the corner of the time machine. His face was covered with blood "If you come any closer, I'll drop this kid." He shouted.

"Jesus Christ, what a coward," Alex said.
"Axel!" Ben said.

Meanwhile, the little Evelyn stood on a ramp over his skateboard and dived in the air to reach the top of the machine--which was at a pretty low altitude by then. He rose up and did an ollie, landed on Dexter's head and they both went down. Axel landed just at the corner and quickly moved away. Both Evelyn and Dexter grabbed the corner of the time machine and hung in the air. Evelyn's board fell down right before Slaine and he looked up.

"Help me!" Evelyn shouted but Ben just looked at him, "Help me, sir!"
He was so pure and innocent back then. A part of him wanted to just hold him tightly, while the other wanted him to die so that he won't have to become what he was today.

"What are you doing?! Geez!" Axel ran towards Evelyn and tried to pull him up but they almost had the same body weight so it was nearly impossible.

"Ben! Come help me!" Ben just stared at them.

'It's up to you--What will you give them? Like other humans, would you abandon them too or would you fight for them?'

"You know what," He mumbled, "I don't know about other but I'm worth fighting for!" He ran towards Evelyn but missed his hand by a few centimetres.
'No...'
Evelyn was falling down.

'I can't die yet!'

Evelyn was is in the air but suddenly felt Slaine's hug. He had held Evelyn tight in his arms and did a full backside turn while his board did one and a half spins and a kickflip at the same time. He landed it perfectly.

"Are you okay?" He asked Evelyn.
"It was scary." Slaine patted his back gently, "Don't ever do something so dangerous again."
Ben smiled as he looked at them from above. Slaine's smile looked so real--He had never seen him like that in the parallel world. Maybe this time, Evelyn was lucky.

"The Gazelle flip!" Riley shouted, "That was epic-- Frank, did you record it?!"
Frank stood behind him with a camera and gave him a thumbs up.
"Fuck yeah!" Riley shouted.

Valorie picked Dexter up, "I'll take care of you from here," He put shackles on his hands. Beatrice lay broken in a corner, "That's what happens when you let an ANDRIOD fight an everyday robot."

The time machine lit up and slowly started rising again.
"Yes! Yes! I fucking did it! I did it myself! Everyone praise me!" Axel turned back, "Ben?"

Ben was gone. Nobody knew where. He just disappeared.

-To be continued

Lupin Kuznetsov
5500 Rebellion