Pain was my first sensation.
My eyelids fluttered against blinding white light. Only to find my head aching like It had been split open. Everything seemed to swim before my eyes, and I couldn't concentrate at all. A sting of antiseptic drifted in my nose, it seemed like I was in a hospital.
"Easy there, boy," a nurse's voice floated somewhere to my right. "You took quite a hit to the head."
I tried to respond, but I couldn't respond, the ceiling tiles above me melting into liquid patterns. A wave of nausea crashed over me, and I shut my eyes, waiting for the world to stop spinning.
Memories flooded in like a broken dam.
I groaned, my thoughts sluggish. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was the void, the portals. The—.
And now... this.
After about half an hour, the headache finally dissipated, and I was able to get up from the bed to go to the mirror that hung to the side. Fortunately, The nurse was gone, leaving me alone in what appeared to be a private hospital room.
In the mirror stood a cute 4-year-old boy, with messy black hair sticking up in all directions. A white bandage wrapped around his - my - forehead, partially covering wide, and dark blue eyes. Baby fat was still present on his body.
That was me now in this body.
While looking at my new body I recalled the memories that I received in the half hour I was resting.- not from the void, but from this body, this life.
I am still on Earth but in America, The year is 2000 right now. While I was born in September of 1996.
How should I explain it? ...
Although it seems like I have transmigrated into a new body, I feel that I was in this body from the start, and only now have I regained my memories.
Why do I say so?
The way I react to things, the way of making choices —it's all me. Did I always live this life and just now remember my past? Or did my soul merge with this body's?" the way I laughed at cartoons, how I clung to Mom's lab coat when she came home, even the stupid way I always tripped over my own feet—it was all me., not at all like possessing someone else where there should be some disharmony.
As for why I am in the hospital now. My mother and I were going somewhere when a car accident happened to us, and from what I can remember, only I survived. Luckily., I wasn't injured much and just hit my head a little, hence the bandage. But my mother was nowhere to be found; they only found me lying there in a pool of blood.
My chest tightened. Olivia Masters—my mother—was gone. I barely knew her, yet the memories flooding in made my throat close up. Finally, after calming my emotions I looked through the memories I had.
From the memories I got to know my name in this world is Rionold; Rionold Kirby Tennyson. But everyone just calls me Rio, and I like it, it sounds good.
My father's name is Taylor Tennyson, a plumber, he went missing two years ago, and we still could not find him.
My mother is Olivia Masters. She is a biophysicist and genetic engineer.
I also have a grandfather named Maxwell Tennyson, also a plumber.
Wait a second….. Plumber? Max? The surname Tennyson?
–Isn't this Ben 10 omniverse? —
Did I transmigrate in the Ben 10 omniverse?
Although I don't remember much of the plot or other things, I can remember only some of the time with my family and very few anime and cartoons that I used to watch. And Ben 10 just happened to be one of my favorite cartoons.
But there seem to be some inconsistencies in this universe. Although I don't remember much except for some key points and some of the plot of the classic, I still remember that according to the prime universe Ben and Gwen should be born now in 2000, but in this universe they were born in 1996. four years earlier than the prime universe.
The main story would start with finding the Omnitrix in the summer of 2010, which means, unlike the normal universe we will be 14 instead of 10.
....
Just then an elderly, gray-haired man of about 50, in a red shirt walked into the room. That of course was Grandpa Max. His face was filled with exhaustion, and dark circles were under his eyes, but he forced a smile when he saw me standing.
"Good morning Rio," Grandpa Max asked me. His voice was warm but rough, "Are you feeling ok to walk around?".
"I am alright Grandpa, just…", memories surfaced in my mind instantly, accompanied by a rush of emotions. This wasn't just some cartoon character - this was my grandfather.
I wanted to say more, but what came out wasn't words, but a simple sob from my throat. Carrying the weight of everything - the loneliness in the void, the transmigration, the accident, the sheer impossibility of my situation - crashed down all at once.
In two strides, Max was across the room, pulling me into a hug. His shirt smelled like motor oil and peppermint.
I buried my face in his shirt, my small body shaking with tears.
"Shh, it's okay, Rio," he murmured, one large hand rubbing circles on my back. "You're safe now. Grandpa's got you."
His voice broke on the last word, and I realized with a pang that he was holding me just as tightly as I was holding him. This strong, dependable man was trembling too.
After a good 10 minutes, I pulled back slightly, wiping my nose on the sleeve of my hospital gown. Grandpa Max's eyes were swollen too, but he managed to give me a smile.
"Sorry," I mumbled, suddenly embarrassed by my actions.
"Nothing to apologize for, Rio." He ruffled my hair gently, avoiding the bandage. "You've been through a lot."
I nodded, then winced as the motion sent pain through my skull. Max's expression turned concerned.
"Head still hurting?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "But it's getting better."
"That's good." He sighed.
I just nodded and looked at my grandfather, realizing that it had not been easy on him. After all, he has already lost a son and recently his daughter-in-law as well, while nearly his grandson as well. Frankly, he has lost weight.
" When was the last time you slept? you look bad and smell bad too, did you go home and rest?" I asked with a serious face and pinched my nose to show the seriousness of the situation. The expression felt strangely natural on this new face.
Grandpa Max just laughed at this and sighed with relief, apparently realizing that I was fine and could still joke.
"Don't worry about me," He sighed, lowering himself onto the edge of the bed with a grunt. "Doctor says you'll be discharged in a couple of days. Frank and Natalie are coming up with Gwen later today."
I just nodded.
We talked about little things to pass the time for the next hours, when Uncle, Aunt, and Gwen arrived, letting Grandpa finally rest.
Gwen in this universe looked the same as in the original, only now she was 4 years old. So I can conclude that all the changes are related to me.
...
Two days later, When I was discharged, Grandpa Max and I went to my old house in Bellwood to pick up my things.
I will be living with Grandpa Max in his house from now on, located in the same city, just a couple of blocks from my cousin's house.
Grandpa Max suggested selling the old house and leaving the money for college, but I decided against it. I still have good memories and an emotional attachment to that house.
As for money I didn't need it, because my parents left me a decent inheritance, especially my mother left me a lot. It turns out that being a scientist was pretty rich.
In Grandpa's house, I was given my own room, which was way bigger than my old one. There was even a new computer, a sleek, futuristic-looking computer. Which in my opinion seemed too advanced to be made in the 1900s.
When I asked about the computer, Grandpa just said it was a housewarming gift. When I asked more about it, he skillfully got off the topic and continued showing me the room.
Later that night, both Ben and Gwen's family came to Grandpa's house for dinner, apparently to show me that everything was not as terrible and to help me cope with the death of my parents, at the same time, having me become friends with Gwen and Ben.
The night went by, with Ben talking about superheroes and Gwen scoffing at him, as for me I just ate my food and watched as they fought, but soon enough I was dragged by Ben to answer if superheroes were real or not.
Watching them bicker, a strange warmth spread in my chest.
Ten years went by just like that.
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Hey there! Thanks for reading my work! I hope this chapter is to your liking. Sorry if you expected more details. Also sorry if you felt it was still too much detail.
If these chapters are a mess of grammatical errors, please point it out and I will try to fix it.
Thanks as always for your time, hope you have a fantastic day and please stay safe.