Entangled branches

Looking at the face that was eerily familiar—so familiar that every time I looked in the mirror, I saw the same one—I asked, "You're me?"

The other Ben, who I mentally started calling No-Watch Ben, nodded. "Yes, but not exactly. I'm you… from another dimension."

He took a step closer to me, studying me carefully.

"Another what now? And why is Gwen so short?"

Smack.

"Ouch!" I winced, rubbing the back of my head.

"Hey, why did you kick me?"

Gwen crossed her arms and shot me a glare. "I am not short, doofus. You're just older than me."

"How was I supposed to know that, dweeb?" I snapped back defensively.

"Hey, hey, don't fight!" No-Watch Ben quickly stepped between us, raising his hands to separate us. "Calm down, both of you."

I sighed, giving Gwen a stink eye. "Fine, I'm calm now. But can someone please explain what is going on here?"

A calm, mature voice interrupted us. "Allow me."

Turning to the source, I saw a man who looked like he walked out of a history book—slick suit, cane in hand, and an aura of quiet authority.

"And you are… who, exactly?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Ben Tennyson. I am Professor Paradox."

Scratching the back of my head, I frowned. "Professor… Paradox?"

"Yes, Professor Paradox." He gave a slight bow, the gesture oddly theatrical yet fitting. "And now, allow me to explain what is happening here."

Ten minutes later…

"So let me get this straight," I said, trying to process the flood of information.

"This guy named Vilgax used some kind of chrono-bomb…"

"Chronosapien Time Bomb," Professor Paradox interjected with a raised finger.

"Right, that. And he erased all the timelines?"

"Not erased," Paradox corrected, "but erased from existence."

"...Yeah, that. And now you guys are hopping from universe to universe, rebooting them from scratch?"

"Precisely," Paradox replied with a nod.

"Oh, and you're also recruiting Bens from different universes?"

"Yes," Paradox confirmed. "We need allies to fight Vilgax and his army of evil Ben Tennysons."

I raised my hand hesitantly, pointing to my wrist. "Uh… but I don't have an Omnitrix."

Everyone froze for a second, their expressions ranging from shocked to puzzled. Gwen tilted her head, and No-Watch Ben blinked in surprise.

"You… don't have an Omnitrix?" Gwen asked, her voice betraying a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

"Yeah," I said, shrugging. "I don't think we even have an Omnitrix in this universe. I've never seen anyone wearing one." I gestured toward the Omnitrix on No-Watch Ben's wrist, then to the one on Gwen's.

No-Watch Ben frowned. "You too, huh?"

Professor Paradox adjusted his bowtie, his expression calm but tinged with intrigue. "Another universe without an Omnitrix… rare, but not impossible. Still, this world is not without its surprises."

No-Watch Ben leaned forward. "Wait, if there are universes without an Omnitrix, then why did Vilgax attack me in mine?"

"Even though this world doesn't have an Omnitrix," Paradox explained, "it still possesses things Vilgax must tread carefully around."

"Wait—are you talking about superheroes?" I asked, my eyes lighting up.

"What superheroes?" No-Watch Ben asked, looking baffled.

"You know, the Justice League," I said, gesturing animatedly.

"The what now?" he repeated, completely lost.

"You know! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman—"

No-Watch Ben's confused expression deepened.

"Wait, you don't have them in your world?" I asked, my jaw dropping slightly.

"Nope," he replied, shaking his head.

"Gwen?" I turned to her.

She shook her head too. "We don't have them in my universe either."

"That's it!" Professor Paradox exclaimed. "Even though this world lacks an Omnitrix, it has other forces—such as the Justice League—that even Vilgax dares not underestimate."

"But my world doesn't," No-Watch Ben pointed out.

"Exactly," Paradox said firmly.

So this is why, I thought, my mind spinning.

"Wait, why is my universe like this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Paradox. "Do you know?"

"I do," he answered.

"Well, can you tell me why?"

"Yes." With a wave of his cane, a holographic projection appeared, showing Earth and countless alternate versions of it.

"There are many dimensions, many universes, many timelines… and many Earths. And thus, many Ben Tennysons across those dimensions." Paradox's voice grew solemn. "But these dimensions are not always in sync with each other."

"Man, this is giving me a headache," I muttered, rubbing my temples.

"Hah, tell me about it," No-Watch Ben said with a grin.

Suddenly, a hologram of a tree appeared. Paradox pointed to its base. "Think of time and space as this tree. Here, at the base, is when you were ten years old." He pointed to the middle. "This is now." Then he pointed to the top. "And this is when you'll be thirty. The trunk represents the main timeline."

He gestured to the branches. "These branches are alternate timelines, where reality splits off and continues down a different path."

No-Watch Ben folded his arms. "Makes sense now."

"Not even a little bit," I muttered.

Paradox ignored me. "This tree, and its branches, represent the multiverse. But this is just one multiverse." With another wave of his cane, more trees appeared, forming an endless forest.

"Whoa," I whispered, my eyes wide.

"These other trees represent other multiverses, each with its own timelines and dimensions," Paradox explained. "Together, they form what we call the Omniverse."

"Okay, I get that, but you still didn't answer my question," I said impatiently.

"I was getting there," Paradox said smoothly. "You see, these trees are constantly growing and expanding. And sometimes…"

The hologram showed two trees growing close together, their branches intertwining.

"Sometimes, the branches of these trees entangle with each other. This creates unique worlds—worlds where two multiversal timelines coexist and influence each other."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me I live in the tangled branches of two cosmic trees?"

Paradox smirked slightly. "Putting it too simply for my taste, but yes."

I looked up at the sky, feeling a strange mix of frustration and awe. "Every Ben Tennyson in every other dimension has an Omnitrix except me."

No-Watch Ben put a hand on my shoulder. "Trust me, I know how it feels."

"Yeah, doofus," Gwen said, stepping forward. "My Ben doesn't have an Omnitrix either."

We looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Good to see you all bonding," Paradox said, his tone sharpening. "But we must hurry."

"Time… is running out."