UNKNOWN LOCATION
Meanwhile, MainBen, riding his Interstellar Harley, continued his journey through countless universes. Each one was different, with its own heroes, rules, and surprises.
In Universe 101001, life was peaceful. There weren't many villains to fight. Mutants were the main focus, and only Tony Stark and Blade the Vampire Hunter stood out as superheroes. It was a calm and balanced world.
Then Ben traveled to Universe 91119, where heroes called themselves the Super Hero Squad instead of the Avengers. It was a quirky and fun universe with a completely different vibe.
Next, in Universe 534834, mutants weren't important at all. Instead, this world was ruled by powerful heroes like the Hulk and She-Hulk, but here She-Hulk was Betty Ross, not Jennifer Walters. The main heroes were the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Thor, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Scarlet Witch. Captain America was missing in action, making it a very different kind of world.
In Universe 904913, Ben found a strange place without magic. Here, Captain America was still frozen in the ice, and mutants didn't exist. The fate of the world rested on Iron Man alone. This universe felt colder, lonelier, and much more grounded than the others.
Still searching for the perfect universe to send another version of himself, Ben finally discovered Universe 12041. It reminded him a bit of Universe 616, 613, and 606, but it had its own twists and mysteries. Intrigued, Ben decided this one was worth a deeper look.
Drawing from the lessons learned in Universe 11052, Ben once again tapped into his Echo-Echo powers, dividing into 999 versions of himself. While 998 merged seamlessly into the multiverse, one remained behind in this unique universe—this version was different. Radiating warmth, charm, sweetness, love, and a hint of lust, he was soon known as Sweet Ben.
Just in a few words, sweet Ben can make any girl go to bed with him, and with his desires he can ravage their Sacred and Nether Region with his Dragon, till he is satisfied.
Sweet Ben carried within him the enchanting abilities of Pesky Dust. With just a gentle gesture, he could lull anyone to sleep and step into their dreams, bringing comfort, joy, and clarity. Though his dreamwalking held no harm, it left a lasting impression—like a beautiful melody one couldn't forget.
But since Sweet Ben has the Powers of Pesky Dust, it makes him more beautiful, and his fragrance makes anyone fall in love with him. It was so strong that if boyfriend and girlfriend passed by him, the girlfriend would break up with his boyfriend and confess to Ben on sight.
And if some mother and daughter duo passed him, they broke all morals, and desires to be ravaged by Ben's Dragon. Even the twin sister fights between them to get Ben's attention.
After leaving Sweet Ben behind in Universe 12041 to explore and uncover its secrets, the main Ben revved up his Interstellar Harley once more. Blazing through the cosmic highways, he continued his journey across the multiverse—each stop revealing a world shaped by its own heroes, choices, and stories.
UNIVERSE 11052
In a quiet, middle-class home, the night took a strange and startling turn.
Kitty Pryde had been peacefully sleeping in her bed. But suddenly, she jolted awake—not from a noise, but because she was falling. To her shock, she didn't land on her bedroom floor. Instead, she found herself in the basement of her house, confused and frightened.
She cried out, her voice shaking. "Mom! Dad! Help me!"
Her parents rushed downstairs in panic. Her father, trying to make sense of it all, asked gently, "Kitty… were you sleepwalking?"
Tears rolled down Kitty's cheeks as she shook her head. "No, Daddy… I wasn't sleepwalking… I—I fell through the ceiling..."
The basement fell silent. A strange energy filled the room. Something had changed, something they couldn't explain—leaving the Pryde family wondering what had just happened... and what it meant for their daughter.
———
Meanwhile, at the Xavier Institute, Cerebro pulsed with energy as it picked up a unique mutant signature—faint, but unmistakable. Professor Charles Xavier, seated in the chamber's heart, closed his eyes and let the information pour in. A name soon surfaced: Kitty Pryde, fifteen years old, residing in Northbrook, Illinois.
Recognizing the sudden emergence of her power—and the turmoil it must have caused—Xavier didn't waste a second.
"Jean Grey," he called calmly, yet firmly, "prepare the Blackbird. We're visiting someone."
Back at the Pryde household, Kitty's mother is trying to calm her down.
"Everything is okay, my dear. Everything is fine… You're just having a nightmare. Forget about it," Kitty's mother said softly, brushing her daughter's hair and offering a gentle smile.
But Kitty's father wasn't so quick to dismiss it. His eyes were locked on the ceiling—on the sheets and pillow that were still half-embedded in it.
"It's not a nightmare," he murmured, almost to himself. "It's something different."
The words hit Kitty harder than he'd intended.
"What am I? What's happening to me?" she whispered, voice trembling under the weight of fear and confusion.
The following morning, Kitty stood silently by the front door, backpack slung over her shoulder. The events of the previous night weighed heavily on her— so forget everything and lived a normal life, she decided to go school.
She crept toward the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed. But her mother was waiting.
"Mom… please let me go to school," Kitty pleaded, eyes wide and earnest. "I can't stay here. I need to go."
Her mother studied her for a moment—then, with a sigh, nodded. "Okay. Go. But come back on time, alright?"
Relief flooded Kitty's face. "Thank you, Mom. I love you!" she called, blowing her a kiss as she stepped out into the daylight.
Her mother watched her go, she was trying to think, everything was normal with her daughter, but tension was still on her face.
---
Meanwhile, at the Xavier Mansion, Jean Grey was chosen by Professor Xavier to go with him on a mission to find a new mutant, Kitty Pryde. As they flew in the Blackbird jet, Jean had some questions.
"Why did you pick me, Professor? You could've asked Storm," she asked, clearly curious. She added, "And what about the other mutant Cerebro found? The one at the foster home?"
Xavier replied, "Kitty is a young girl, and since you're a teenager too, she might feel more comfortable with you." Then he added, "As for the other one—his name is Lance Alvers. But I'll handle that. You just focus on Kitty and her family."
When they arrived at Kitty's house, her father wasn't welcoming. He quickly told them it was none of their business and slammed the door.
"Well, that went great," Jean said sarcastically. "Next time, we should just call and get hung up on instead."
"No, Jean," Xavier said calmly. "We need to speak with them in person. Go to her school, talk to Kitty directly—and also speak to Ben, since he's there for something too."
With her mission clear, Jean got ready to reach out to Kitty and help her through this new and confusing time in her life.
At school, Kitty went to her locker to get ready for P.E. class. But things didn't go as planned. Two mean girls, Riley and Sydney, shoved her into the locker and slammed it shut.
While this was happening, a teenage boy walked out of the boys' restroom. He looked around the empty hallway. Inside the locker, Kitty was scared and begged to be let out. Suddenly, she phased through the locker wall and accidentally bumped into Lance Alvers as he walked by.
Lance was surprised but interested when he saw her powers. He introduced himself and showed off his own mutant powers by causing a small tremor in the floor—he could control the earth.
Kitty, now frightened, backed away and ran. "No! You're some kind of freak! Stay away from me!" she shouted—only to run right into someone else's arms.
It was Ben.
Lance laughed from a distance and called out, "You can run, but you can't hide. I'm gonna rock your world!" But then he noticed Kitty in someone else's arms, and his smile faded.
"Who are you?" Lance asked Ben angrily and tried to use his powers to sink him into the ground. But Ben calmly used his Time Pause ability and froze Lance in place.
Kitty looked up at Ben, still in his arms. "Who are you?" she asked. Even though she was startled, something about him felt safe—so she didn't pull away right away.
Ben gently caressed her back and said, "Don't worry. I've got this." His calm and caring tone made Kitty blush. She quickly stepped back, embarrassed, and ran off.
"Next time, I'm gonna be late for gym class!" she shouted as she hurried down the hall.
Meanwhile, Lance realized Ben had let him go from the time freeze. Angry that his plan to use Kitty to get into the school office had failed, he ran off—only to bump into Jean Grey in the hallway.