Location: Sendai City, Japan
Time: 5:30PM
"Gwen?" Said Ben in astonishment. The girl known as Gwen had fair skin,red hair tied into a ponytail that was shoulder length and green eyes. She wore a white shirt under a red sweater, black stockings under a black mini-skirt and black high heels.
"You're alive!" Began the hologram of Gwen enthusiastically.
"I mean...I know Paradox said that you were alright, but it's so good to see that you're ok. Are you ok?" Asked Gwen.
"I'm better than ok,Cuz. I'm really happy to see you." Said Ben with a wide smile.
"I am too. We were worried sick when you didn't see either you or the watch but only the Ultimates. These past few days have been pretty hard on us, especially your parents." Said Gwen with a tone of sadness.
"Past few days? How long have I been gone?" Questioned Ben as he then took a seat on one of the chairs.
"By tomorrow, it'll be a week." Answered Gwen.
"A week? I just got here today." Shouted Ben in Surprise.
"Now that you mention it, where exactly are you? Is it that same universe you told Kevin and I you went to last month?" Asked a curious Gwen.
"No,I don't think Rex or Providence exist here. It's definitely somewhere new. Though I'll say,I thought Paradox filled you guys in on where I was before he got here?" Said Ben with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes and no. He told us that you were alright, and that you were in an alternate version of Japan, but he didn't tell us any more." Mused Gwen.
"Why?" Asked Ben, not quite understanding what she meant.
"He said he needed to get to you as soon as possible, and that once he was sure that you were ok, he'd fill us in more " Answered Gwen.
"I see. Well he's already done a lot for me in his short stay here. He got me a house to live in, though I'm not sure if it's by myself. Whichever one,I don't mind. Plus even though I can't go back anytime soon,I can still keep in touch with you guys." Said Ben with a tone of gratitude.
"Paradox really outdid himself." Said Gwen with a smile.
"Yeah,I owe him a lot for that." Agreed Ben with a smile of his own.
"Knowing him, he would probably see it as an honor to help you out like this." Said Gwen,her smile turning into a small smirk.
"Heh,true." Said Ben with a small laugh.
"Hold on let me go upstairs to one of the rooms, it'd probably be more cozy." As Ben said this he held the Plumber's Badge firmly in his right hand and then got up from the chair. He then walked out of the kitchen and climbed up a set of stairs that led to the upper floor.
He saw a total of three brown doors,each spaced out from the other. His attention was brought to the one in the middle,as it had his name "Ben" written in Japanese Kanji on a small note above the door. Unlike the other doors which had nothing of the sort.
"Guess this must be my room." Said Ben as he then opened the middle door.
He was met with a well furbished room, sporting white walls,a single bed with a blue bedsheet,a table opposite the bed that had nothing on it, and an empty wardrobe behind it. By the left hand side of the room was a door that most likely led to a bathroom.
'Kinda reminds me of home' Ben thought to himself.
"Alright, I'm upstairs now. I'm sure you're wondering how this new world is?" Said Ben as he then laid on his back with the Plumbers Badge still in hand.
"Yeah, anything unusual or anything that stands out?" Asked Gwen.
"So far no. It's pretty similar to our Japan, though I might end up being wrong since I haven't been here up to a full day. And I haven't seen much of the city either." Said Ben with a shrug.
"True. Hopefully if there is something weird about this place,It shouldn't be beyond anything you can't handle." Said Gwen.
"Please, I'm Ben Tennyson. There's nothing I can't handle." Said Ben with a grin.
Of course there isn't." Said Gwen as she rolled her eyes.
"Well, it's nice to see that you've still got your confidence." Said Gwen with a smile.
"I'm just stating facts. Though now that I think about unusual stuff,before Paradox left,he did give me a warning of sorts." As Ben said this,he slightly shifted his head so as to better rest it on the pillow.
"What did he say?" Asked a curious Gwen.
"He said 'Beware the treachery of The Two Faced Specter'" Said Ben in a tone devoid of any humor.
"Woah. Talk about foreboding." Gwen said with an expression of worry.
"Yeah, and you should have seen his face too, it's like when he warned us about some guy named George." Mused Ben.
"Or when he told Kevin to try and remember who his friends are before he got mutated again." Added Gwen.
"One thing is sure, what Paradox said is definitely going to happen, so I'm going to need to prepare myself so that I can properly follow his advice." Ben said with conviction.
"Good choice. Though I doubt that's the only thing that Paradox told you about this place." Reasoned Gwen with a sly smile.
"Well, apart from getting me a place to stay,he also fabricated a cover story for me. One that even though I understand why it has to be like that,I kinda wish there was another way." Ben's expression hardened slightly as he said this.
"What is it?" Asked Gwen, noticing Ben's change in expression.
"Basically, I'm an orphan. I don't know the specifics but judging by my living situation, it's probably a recent thing." Said Ben with a sigh that indicated discomfort with his words.
"Oh Ben, I'm so sorry. Is that the only cover story you could get?" Said Gwen with sympathy.
"Well,it was either that,or have a family adopt me and pretend to be my own. Paradox didn't want to risk upsetting me further, and I'm kinda grateful that he didn't go that route." Said Ben with a small smile that fell as soon as it appeared.
"I understand." Said Gwen with a reassuring tone.
"Ben, even if you're not back home with us anymore,I want you to know that no matter what, we'll always be there for you. However long it'll be till you get back, we'll wait for you, but until then, we'll have your back." Gwen said with a sincere smile.
"Thanks Gwen. I already knew that, but hearing you say it still means a lot to me. And you're right. However long I may be gone, we'll get through this together." Said Ben with newfound vigor.
"Right." Said Gwen with similar vigor.
"On a slightly more positive note, who's your guardian?" Asked Gwen.
"Unfortunately Paradox's time ran out so he couldn't tell me. I'll have to find that along with a lot of things out on my own." Answered Ben.
"I see. Sorry to hear that. But I know you'll be fine." Encouraged Gwen.
"Yeah, thanks. My bet is probably a old running buddy of Paradox. Though I haven't a clue who that could be." Pondered Ben.
"Could be anybody. But something tells me that you'll find out soon enough." Reasoned Gwen.
"True." Ben said in agreement.
"Anyway, how's Kevin? I'm a bit embarrassed that I didn't even think about him until now?" Asked Ben with eagerness.
"Don't be. And he's fine. Though he doesn't always admit it,he misses you a lot." Said Gwen with a light hearted laugh.
"Heh,I miss him too. And I'm not surprised either. Kevin's never been the type of person to wear his emotions on his sleeve." Said Ben with a warm smile and with a mild teasing tone.
"Ain't that the truth. The only things I've seen him be open about how he feels about them is money and his car." Said Gwen with a playful scoff.
"Don't forget you." Said Ben with a smirk.
"Heh,I know." Gwen said with a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Speaking of car, he's probably working on it now isn't he?" Asked an amused Ben.
"Yeah. Though he did say he'd try and get in touch with you either today or tomorrow." Said Gwen smiling.
"Good to hear, I'd like to talk him too." Said Ben with satisfaction.
"On where you're staying. Where exactly are you in Japan?" Asked Gwen with evident eagerness.
Umm, someplace called Sendai City,why do you ask?" Answered Gwen, not quite understanding where she was going with her question. This however only caused Gwen to gasp in surprise.
"Ben, Sendai City isn't just someplace. It's the largest city in the Tohoku region, and the second largest city in the north of Tokyo. It's one of the most beautiful cities in all of Japan, even nicknamed the 'City of Trees' as well. You're in one of the richest cities in the world with just history alone, how can you not be excited?" Said Gwen as she was very clearly invested in what she was saying.
'What have I done?' Mused Ben to himself with a smile.
"Because I'm not interested in all this stuff Gwen, you are." Reasoned Ben with a sly smile.
"It wouldn't kill you to develop an interest though." Said Gwen with a pout. Though it immediately changed into a smile.
"Nah, I'm pretty sure it will." Quipped Ben with a grin.
"Unfortunately, I've got some homework to do and I'm pretty sure you haven't fully settled in so I'll leave you to it. Said Gwen as she wished that their conversation hadn't come to a close.
"Goodbye Ben. It's good to hear from you again." Said Gwen with a sincere smile.
"You too Gwen. And tell you what? When next we talk,I might be down for a history lesson or two about Sendai and Japan. Deal?" Said Ben in an effort to raise his cousin's spirits. Gwen immediately beamed upon hearing his words.
"Deal." She said with a broad smile. And just as she said that, the hologram dispersed, and the Plumber's Badge was deactivated.
Ben then placed the Plumber's Badge to the right side of the bed and put his hands behind his head. He looked up at the ceiling with a smile, evidently deep in thought. He was extremely grateful for being able to speak with his cousin Gwen, and with assurance that came with knowing that his loved ones were fine. Though he missed them dearly, and wished to be with them once more,he gradually began to accept his current predicament, and appreciated being able to even speak with them regardless.
His train of thoughtswould last for some minutes, before it would be interrupted by a beeping coming from the Plumbers Badge. Ben turned his face to his right and grabbed the Plumber's Badge with his right hand.
"Looks like someone's calling me. Wonder who?" Pondered Ben as he placed his left index finger on the faceplate. This caused the badge to glow a bright green and a hologram to manifest as well. The hologram in question made Ben's mouth to open wide in shock.
The hologram was that of a woman, who looked to be in her mid to late 40's.she had fair skin, green eyes, and blonde hair. She wore a red sweater, black pants, and black flats. This was Sandra Tennyson, Ben's mother.
"Hello? Is anyone there? I'm not sure if this thing is working right." Said a confused Sandra who was for some reason looking downwards.
"Mom?" Said Ben in Surprise. This caused the hologram of Sandra to look at him instead. Upon doing so,her eyes widened in shock.
"Honey, please come over here. It's working. Someone is on the line." Said Sandra.
"I'm coming darling." Said a male voice. A few seconds later, the hologram of a man joined Sandra. He was closer to his 50's. He had fair skin, brown eyes, and brown hair. He wore a white dress shirt, brown pants, and brown shoes. This was Carl Tennyson, Ben's father.
"I don't believe it... Ben?" Said Carl with surprise. His wife however,had on a wide smile and her expression seemed like she could barely contain her excitement.
"Mom...Dad..." Said Ben softly, with a smile of relief and joy.
Time: 6:45AM
A brand new day has started. The night sky was gradually fading and the rays of the sun were slowly dimming on the landscape of the city of Sendai. Our hero, Ben Tennyson,was seen laying down on his right side as he lightly snored. He wore a black shirt and a grey short that was covered due to him wrapping himself around a blue blanket. With a slightly louder snore than before, Ben's eyes began to slowly open. They were redder than most when they wake up from sleep, indicating that perhaps he didn't sleep early enough.
With a stir,Ben stretched out his arms and turned to lay on his back with a loud yawn.
'This bed is really cozy. Too bad that I didn't get enough sleep since I basically spent all night talking to my parents. Not that I mind though. It was great to hear from them again.' Thought Ben to himself.
He then slowly got out of the bed and stood on his feet, stretching his arms still in the process.
"Might as well get ready for today. Who knows? I might even meet my new guardian." Mused Ben with a smile. He then cupped both hands around his hair which was ruffled due to his sleeping, and even had two small spikes coming out. After straightening it out for a few seconds,it looked more in line with how it normally did, although not as neat.
With a smile,Ben walked towards the bathroom, which had a blue and white interior blended together. His eyes immediately darted towards a sink with a mirror slightly above it. It had a toothbrush on the left side of the sink and toothpaste on the right. He picked up the brush, applied the paste and began to brush his teeth.
Knock, Knock,Knock
Ben,who had just spat out the water in his mouth, looked around in confusion.
Knock, Knock, Knock
"Sounds like someone is knocking on the front door. Though I'm a bit surprised I can hear it from here" Pondered Ben as he wiped off the paste on his mouth.
"Might as well find out who." Said Ben as he placed down the brush and paste before stepping out of the bathroom.
Knock Knock, Knock Knock Knock
Ben had left his room and began proceeding downstairs.
Knock Knock, Knock Knock Knock. Knock Knock Knock.
"I can't tell if this person is impatient,or is just fooling around." Mumbled Ben in annoyance as he now stood in front of the door.
"Who is it?" Asked Ben.
"Is this where Ben Tennyson lives?" Asked a voice which was male in tone.
"Yeah? Who's asking?" Said Ben, barely able to contain his surprise over the fact that this stranger knew who he was.
"Why don't you open the door and find out?" Asked the stranger in a playful tone.
This immediately caused Ben to feel uneasy as he slowly placed his right hand around the Ultimatrix dial.
'Might as well be careful.' Thought Ben to himself as he used his left hand to slowly open the door. Though it was partially open,Ben was able to see the stranger completely, and the man's appearance completely dumbfounded the teen.
Standing in front of his door was a rather tall man,who looked to be around 28 and with a skin that was somewhat pale. He had white hair that was pressed down slightly, albeit was still spiky. He wore dark sunglasses and a slightly baggy black polo shirt. He also had on white jeans with black shoes. This man is Satoru Gojo, and on his face was a rather mischievous grin.
"Huh?" Said a confused Ben. The man's appearance had taken him aback completely, making him to open the door down wide.
'Who is this guy? Why does his skin look so smooth? And why is he wearing shades indoors? Who wears shades indoors? And at this time of day too?' Were just one of the many thoughts racing through Ben's mind.
"Combed Brown hair. Green eyes. And a weird gauntlet on his left wrist." Mused Satoru as he placed his left index finger and thumb underneath his chin.
"Aha. You must be Ben Tennyson." Said Satoru with a triumphant smile as he snapped his fingers on his left hand.
"Uh...huh. How do you know that again?" Asked Ben, just barely regaining his composure.
"Well, then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tennyson-kun. My name is Satoru Gojo, but you can call me Gojo-San." Greeted Gojo with a smirk.
"Uh,o..k Gojo-San. Why are you here?"Asked a perplexed Ben.
"So many questions, Tennyson-kun. And although understandable,I must say, your manners are quite lacking. You have a guest at your front door, and you haven't even bothered to invite him in." Began Satoru playfully, before placing his left hand on his chest and forming an expression of mock hurt on his face. Though his less than subtle smirk said otherwise.
"Uh,Uh, Sorry about th..." Began an embarrassed Ben who was interrupted as Satoru walked past in.
"Might as well let myself in, don't you think?" Said Satoru with a smirk and with both hands in his pocket.
"H- Hey!" Said Ben with annoyance as he closed the door, but Satoru simply ignored him and walked further into the house, now in front of the kitchen. He then let out a whistle in astonishment.
"Nanami-kun really outdid himself with this house. Bit of a shame that's there's not much substance to the living room." Satoru's smirk widened upon that last sentence leaving his lips. He then walked into the kitchen and began to look around,as if inspecting it.
"Gojo-San,I don't appreciate you blowing off my questions. Just who are you and why exactly are you here?" Said Ben trying to keep his cool.
"That's pretty simple. I'm a close friend of your guardian." Answered Satoru.
"My guardian?" Said Ben with slightly widened eyes.
"Kento Nanami. Though he was busy so he asked me to come in his place instead." Said Satoru as he then sat on one of the chairs around the kitchen table, and put his feet up on it.
"Oi, Tennyson-kun, you have refreshments right?" Ben in question had sported a red tick mark on his forehead, obviously unpleased with Satoru's feet being on the table.
"There's sparkling water in the fridge. Would you care for some?" Said Ben through lightly gritted teeth.
"Hmm. Not as sweet as I would like but that could work." Mused Satoru.
"Yes, please." Said Satoru with childlike glee.
"I'll be right back." Grumbled Ben as he walked away from Satoru. He now stood in front of a standing fridge. Opening the top half,he saw a large bottle with a cover on it.
"Just to be sure." Said Ben as he then took the bottle out of the fridge and began to shake it lightly. It began to foam as a result.
"Got it." Said Ben as he then closed the fridge and walked to the kitchen sink. Bringing out two glass cups and filling them with the sparkling water,Ben then returned the bottle and walked back to Satoru,a glass in each hand.
"Here you go." Said Ben as he offered the man the glass on his right hand.
"Thank you Tennyson-kun." Said a cheerful Satoru as he happily accepted it.
"Don't mention it." Said Ben with a small smile as he then sat down and sipped on his drink lightly. Satoru on the other hand,drank his with glee.
"Could you please put your feet down?" Asked Ben politely.
"Hmm,I probably could, but I don't want to." Said Satoru mischievously.
"Of course you don't." Said Ben with a defeated sigh.
"So, the name of my guardian is Kento Nanami. And he couldn't come here himself because of work." Said Ben.
"Pretty much." Said Satoru simply.
'Kind of wishing someone else came in his place.' Thought Ben to himself with a look of disappointment on his face.
"But don't worry about that. You're in luck. I'm much more fun to be around with than Nanami. Even Paradox agrees." Cheered Satoru as he sipped on his drink.
"You know Professor Paradox?" Asked Ben, leaning forward slightly with eagerness.
"We both do. He's the one who told us about you after all." Said Satoru with a grin as he did a finger gun with his left hand to Ben, causing the boy to roll his eyes.
"So that's how you know my name." Theorized Ben.
"And who you are. You're from an alternate universe where aliens exist. That thing on your wrist allows you to turn into all kinds of aliens. And you use your powers to be a superhero." Said Satoru in a matter of fact tone.
"Uhh...Yeah,to put it lightly, that's kind of accurate." Said a surprised Ben.
"That's good, because quite frankly, when Paradox told us about you,we saw it as the most absurd thing we've ever heard, and for so many reasons. But we still believed him nonetheless." Said Satoru with amusement.
"That reaction is pretty understandable, though I'm surprised you came to terms with it so quickly. You must have a lot of faith in the professor." Reasoned Ben.
"Oh yeah, totally. Him and I go way back." Said Satoru with enthusiasm.
"How far back exactly?" Questioned Ben.
"Let's just say that Paradox is one of the only two people I see as an equal." Stated Satoru simply.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Said a confused Ben.
"A story for another day, Tennyson-kun." Dismissed Satoru with a playful smile.
"Huh? Why can't you tell me now?" Said Ben in more confusion.
"No spoilers, Tennyson-kun. Consider it a trust building exercise between the two of us." Satoru said playfully.
"If you say so." Said Ben with a defeated sigh.
"So you know about my powers and where I come from completely right?" Questioned Ben.
"More or less." Said Satoru.
"What do you intend to do with that information?" Asked Ben.
"It's pretty simple." Began Satoru as he finished his drink, put the now empty glass on the table, and crossed his legs.
"I need you to keep being a hero who fights the bad guys." Stated Satoru.
"You need me to take care of bad guys? That I can do." Said Ben with a grin.
"Oh ho, Tennyson-kun. Though I believe you can,I must tell you that the 'bad guys' in this world aren't the same as yours." Reasoned Satoru.
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Ben.
"We do not have aliens or mutants here, but rather something much more uncanny." Began Satoru.
"What is it?" Asked Ben.
"Curses." Said Satoru.
"Curses?" Asked Ben.
"Yes, Tennyson-kun. Now listen carefully,as class is now in session." Said Satoru as he now brought his feet down. He then crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward slightly. He had Ben's full attention now.
"Curses are a race of spiritual beings manifested from cursed energy as a result of the negative emotions that flows out of humans." Began Satoru.
"What's cursed energy?" Asked Ben.
"Cursed energy is a power source that's tied to negative emotions. These Curses that are born as a result of it bring harm and suffering to all of mankind." Answered Satoru.
"How long have they been around?" Asked Ben.
"No one knows. But since their lifeblood,cursed energy,is spawned from negative emotions, it's a safe assumption that they've existed for as long as humanity itself. However, more than 1,233 years ago,there was a man who lived as the unchallenged king of curses. His name was Ryomen Sukuna, and his actions have gone on to affect the modern day greatly." Said Satoru.
"How much?" Asked Ben. A feeling in his gut told him that he may not like where this was going.
"For the past few years, the number of unexplained deaths and disappearances have exceeded ten of thousands annually. And though they are measures put in place to curb these tragedies,I fear that they may not be quite enough to challenge the rapidly growing activity of the curses. At least, not as it is now." As Satoru said this, Ben's face contorted into one of utter shock,as he seemed to be struggling greatly with what Satoru had said.
"They're guys who are trying to stop this though right? Keep all these curses under control?" Asked Ben, slightly regaining his composure.
"Yes, and I am one of them. A Jujutsu sorcerer." Answered Satoru.
"A Jujutsu sorcerer,as the name implies, specializing in using Jujutsu. Jujutsu is a mystical arts that focuses on any set of spells and skills that sorcerers can use by drawing on their cursed energy." Said Satoru.
"So your job is to protect humanity from curses?" Asked Ben.
"More or less." Satoru simply stated. His smile changed into a neutral expression.
"Tennyson-kun,I understand that you have been separated from your friends and family just recently, and you don't know for how long that may be. To you, the thought of having bear a responsibility unlike any you've had to before, and so soon may come off as being..."
"I'm in, Gojo-San." Interrupted Ben with a determined glare.
"Paradox was right. Even in a world that's not yours, you still strive to be a hero." Said Satoru, his smile now returned.
"Pretty much. And that's because I understand that with the power I have, it's my responsibility to use it to make the lives of other people better. I've been doing so since I was ten,so it wouldn't make sense for me to turn my back on anyone who could need my help." Said Ben with a warm smile.
"With such an admirable resolve, you might become a Jujutsu sorcerer yet, Tennyson-kun. Or at the least, work within our ranks." Mused Satoru.
"You know what? I might just be." Said Ben with a smirk.
"However, there is an issue on ground that must be addressed before we can go any further, Tennyson-kun." Said Satoru, his expression now changing into a serious one.
"What is it?" Asked Ben.
"Paradox tells me that you possess a moral code that could prove to be bothersome in the nearby future." Said Satoru.
"You mean the fact that I don't kill." Said Ben, his expression had also changed into a serious one.
"Yes." Stated Satoru.
"Well then, I'm sure he also told why it is that I don't kill."' Said Ben.
"You believe in giving people second chances. That no one is beyond redemption. You also value life greatly, whether it be human or alien, and will go to great lengths to ensure that life is preserved,no matter how difficult it may seem,or how detrimental it may be." Said Satoru with understanding.
"From what I have heard of your experiences, you are not quite familiar with encountering individuals who care so little for the things you care about the most in that regard. You have never dealt with foes who couldn't care less about preserving lives. But rather, would go to great lengths in achieving their goals that killing innocents seem more or less like an after thought to them. I'm not saying this to undermine your past achievements and experiences,or even say that you will never deal with them. On the contrary,I know you will, especially in this world." Ben seemed like he wanted to reply but words failed him,so he remained silent.
"They are people who's goals and outlooks stand in such stark contrast to your own that even considering showing them this level of mercy would seem foolish. I won't waste time on this topic any longer,as I'm sure you'll come to understand the meaning of all I've said soon enough." As Satoru said this, his smile returned, and he put his feet on the table once more.
"Plus,I have a request for you. Think of it as an interview for whether or not you'll be a Jujutsu sorcerer." Ben's expression changed from a hardened one to a softened one.
"What would you have me do?" Asked Ben.
"I need you to go into the city..." Began Satoru.
Location: Sendai Station, Japan
Time: 11:30Pm
"There you'll meet a first year Jujutsu sorcerer around your age."
A Brown train was seen stopping on the train tracks,as it had reached it's destination. Coming out of it alongside the passengers was Ben in his usual attire. He seemed to be looking around for someone.
"He's already aware that you're coming,so he'll be in one of the public benches waiting for you."
"What does he look like?" Asked Ben.
"Spiky dark blue hair,a dark long sleeved over shirt with a high collar, matching pants and ankle high boots. You can't miss him." Said Satoru with a chuckle.
Upon looking around the station, Ben's eyes fell on a bench that had only one individual sitting on it. It was a tall, young teenage boy, around 15. He had fair skin, spiky dark blue hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a dark long sleeved over shirt with a high collar that featured a golden button with a swirl. He also wore matching trousers and ankle high boots. The boy, upon noticing Ben stood up immediately and looked at him with curiosity.
"What's his name?" Asked Ben, causing Satoru to grin.
Ben looked at the boy with a smile.
"Megumi Fushiguro."