It was a peaceful morning, and the Avengers were enjoying some much-needed downtime. The sun shone over the city, laughter echoed across the compound—until suddenly, a high-priority emergency alert interrupted everything.
Attuma, warlord of the deep, had launched a brutal invasion—riding a tidal wave straight into Manhattan, leading an army of Atlanteans to conquer the surface world.
Iron Man was first to respond, clashing mid-air with Attuma as the others leapt into action, fighting off the Atlantean soldiers surging from the floodwaters.
Meanwhile, Ben zipped through the chaos, joyfully sprinkling Sleep Dust to knock out as many enemies as possible. "Hehehe… sleep tight, fishies!" he chimed. But just as he tried to put Attuma to sleep, the warlord dove into the flooded subway system, escaping Ben's reach—the constant water neutralizing the Sleep Dust.
Iron Man quickly switched into his underwater armor, diving in pursuit.
At street level, Captain America and Hawkeye uncovered strange metallic devices hidden throughout the city. "These aren't Atlantean tech…" Cap muttered.
Iron Man's scans confirmed their fears: The devices were destabilizing the bedrock, part of a plan to sink Manhattan into the sea.
As Attuma emerged again with more soldiers, Captain America, Hawkeye, Ben, and Hulk confronted him head-on while Iron Man, Falcon, and Thor used an energy barrier to hold back the crushing tidal wave threatening the city.
With a roar, Hulk charged Attuma, fists slamming against the sea king's trident. They traded blow for blow, equally matched, until Attuma landed a brutal punch that sent Hulk crashing through the energy barrier, nearly letting the wave crash through.
Ben flew above the fray, frustrated. "Ugh! Water again?! My dust won't work!"
Every time he tried, the Sleep Dust dissolved in Attuma's watery aura. Thinking quickly, Ben unleashed a powerful Sonic Attack. Attuma staggered, clutching his ears. In that moment of weakness, Ben blanketed the battlefield in Sleep Dust.
Attuma and his soldiers fell one by one, snoring underwater.
With Attuma finally neutralized, Thor and Iron Man dove into the depths and were stunned to find Hulk holding up the island of Manhattan, straining but unrelenting.
Using his tech and Attuma's own devices, Iron Man repaired the damage to the bedrock, stabilizing Manhattan before it could collapse into the ocean.
The Avengers saved the day once again—but it wasn't just brute force. It was teamwork. Coordination. And yes—Ben's Sleep Dust, which proved critical once more.
Though victorious, Ben felt something different this time. He was learning. Adapting. He realized he couldn't win every battle with tricks alone.
He thought to himself, "I'm not as strong here as I used to be… but with the Avengers, I'm stronger than ever."
Though Ben's Sleep Dust could even knock out Celestials, it still had its limits: it had to be inhaled, so it didn't work on robots or beings submerged in water. But once they were out of water, even beings like Attuma couldn't resist.
And this was just Sweet Ben's beginning in Universe 12041. He was still adapting. Still learning. Still smiling.
"Hehehe… next time, I'll be ready."
—
While the Sweet Ben is doing his adventures with the Avengers in Universe 12041. Rude Ben also continued his journey in the Universe 11052.
UNIVERSE 11052
Under the cover of night, the X-Men quietly entered the enemy base. Kitty Pryde whispered, "Let's keep it quiet," as she phased through the walls, taking out security without a sound. Spyke followed, disabling a few more guards with precision.
With the path clear, Nightcrawler turned to Cyclops and said, "Ready? I'll teleport us inside." Cyclops nodded. "Let's do this."
In a flash of blue light, they vanished and reappeared deep inside the base.
Their mission was simple: rescue Storm.
Jean Grey, focusing hard, floated Cyclops and Nightcrawler just inches above the laser traps. "Hold still, guys," she said. "One wrong move and we're toast."
Once they reached the prison cell, Cyclops spotted a familiar figure chained up. "Storm!" he shouted, then blasted the chains apart.
But as the smoke cleared, the figure smirked. "Not quite," she said.
It wasn't Storm. It was Rogue.
Before Cyclops could react, Rogue grabbed his arm. "Sorry, sugar," she said with a sly smile, and suddenly his energy drained away as she absorbed his powers.
Surprised and weak, Cyclops gasped, "What—how?"
Realizing it was a training simulation, he quickly shouted, "Pause simulation!"
The lights came on, and the Danger Room returned to normal.
Ben stood on the sidelines, scribbling notes. "You hesitated. That could cost you in a real mission," he said, focused.
Professor Xavier entered through the doors. "Cyclops, you should know better. Never pause a simulation unless someone is injured," he said calmly but firmly.
"I—I didn't know Rogue was part of the test," Cyclops replied, embarrassed.
"That's the point," Xavier explained. "Missions don't always go as planned. You need to be ready for anything."
Turning to the group, he said, "Good work today, team. That's enough for now. Head back to school and get ready for tomorrow."
Later, as the X-Men prepared for their school trip, Ben walked up to Jean. "Hey, don't forget, we're supposed to help load the bus," he reminded her.
Jean smiled. "Right. I'll meet you by the parking lot."
Inside the gym, Rogue punched the bag, sweat dripping from her brow. She overheard the conversation outside and paused, frowning slightly.
"They sound close," she muttered to herself, feeling a twinge of jealousy.
Just then, a voice came from behind her.
"Ben will never be your friend," said Ms. Darkholme, stepping out of the shadows.
Rogue turned sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ms. Darkholme gave a cold smile. "You're not like them, Rogue. Don't forget which side you're on."
Rogue's clenched fists showed how serious she was. "I'm going to get him," she said firmly, making up her mind.
Ms. Darkholme, with a serious tone, said, "I just heard them talking. They're using you in training like an enemy." Rogue looked upset for a moment. "Then I'll get him back," she said with determination. Ms. Darkholme reminded her to think about who her real friends are and who truly cares about her.
With a softer tone, Ms. Darkholme added, "Have a good trip," and walked away.
Meanwhile, Jean and Ben were helping load the bus for the school trip. They were excited until their teacher came up to them. She looked a bit sorry as she said, "Jean, because you've missed too many classes, you can't go on the trip."
"What? That's not fair!" Jean argued.
The teacher shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jean. Someone else is already taking your spot."
Feeling disappointed, Jean grabbed her bag and walked away.
Ben, upset, asked, "Who's replacing her?"
The teacher said casually, "A new student."
Ben looked toward the bus—and there was Rogue, climbing the steps with a small, mysterious smile on her face. She looked straight at him.
Back at the mansion, Professor Xavier was talking with Magneto. Magneto spoke about his children, but Xavier didn't trust him.
"Tell me the real reason you're here," Xavier said.
Suddenly, Magneto used his powers to slam Xavier into the glass doors, leaving a cold silence in the room.
---
As the bus skidded toward the cliff's edge, Ben quietly used his Time Powers to stop the slide—only Rogue noticed the bus suddenly slowing.
Once everyone was safe, Rogue spoke up. "There's a cave just over that ridge. We can take the snowmobiles and wait out the storm there."
Everyone agreed, and soon they were racing through the snow. Rogue led the way, helping Ben onto a snowmobile. He gave her a puzzled look as he settled into the seat. "You sure about this?" he asked.
"We'll be safer in the cave," Rogue replied over the roar of the engine.
When they arrived, the group stepped inside and gasped. The cave was set up like a small hideout—blankets, backpacks, even a simple bed in the corner.
Ben looked around, impressed but confused. He walked over to the bed and ran a hand over the blanket. "This is… really nice," he said. Then he turned to Rogue. "Why didn't you bring us back to the Academy instead of here?"
Rogue paused at the entrance, her breath visible in the cold air. She met his eyes and quietly said, "I wanted a place where we could talk… away from everyone else."
Ben nodded slowly, still studying the cozy space. "Okay," he said. "Let's make the best of it until the storm passes."
Rogue's sudden movements catch Ben off guard, and he finds himself tumbling backwards onto the bed. Before he can react, Rogue is on top of him, her hands gripping his wrists and pinning them above his head.
She, initially silent, responded to him, "You and Jean want to enjoy each other. Forget about it, I will enjoy you. Since Jean hasn't lost her virginity yet, I will be the first one to take you from her. And then I will make you mine." She whispered into his ear; jealousy was clearly visible on her face.
"So, it's all your plan, Darkhölme had to do this because you replaced Jean with yourself." Ben said as he realized why Jean was replaced.
Rogue's voice is low and husky, filled with possessive desire. "You're mine now. I'm going to make sure you never forget me."
She leans in, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispers, "I'm going to be the first one to truly claim you, to make you mine in every way possible."