The Omnitrix being the most powerful weapon in the universe might have sounded like exaggeration, at least until you considered a Celestialsapien. Then everything changed.
Even knowing the weight of that truth, I couldn't really grasp it. I was just a mortal, after all. I understood what it meant to be alien, though, since I'd already turned into an Uxorite on our very first day here.
That had been a shock, especially because I'd never seen Ben transform into one. When I searched through the Omnitrix, I found nearly every known alien unlocked, and even a few I didn't recognize. It felt like a generous gift to wake up with, until I realized the thing on my wrist wasn't the Omnitrix at all.
Well, not exactly. It looked the same as Ben's from Alien Force. But I knew, somehow, that I could go Ultimate right from the start. I tested it, shifting into Ultimate Echo Echo, and it worked. I had become an Ultimate.
Gwen was startled by the sudden change. I told her the Omnitrix must have evolved again, and she seemed willing to accept that. Whatever the reason, I now carried an endlessly charged device that let me become any alien with nothing more than a thought.
It didn't take long to realize that this Omnitrix had no limits. The Master Control was mine, completely unlocked.
I couldn't hold back my excitement. Over the span of a few hours, I shifted through one alien after another. I avoided the really massive forms, but even so, every change left me buzzing with power. Strength pulsed through me with each transformation, as if I were untouchable.
Maybe it was some perk of transmigration. Maybe not. Either way, I was grateful.
Another thing I noticed was that the aliens felt far more powerful than they ever had for Ben. I only carried fragments of his memories, but some of them included what it was like to use his forms. One in particular stood out: Lodestar, a Biotsavartian. When Ben had become him, the strength had been impressive. But for me? It felt like I could tear continents apart using the geomagnetic field itself.
At least, that's how it felt. I wasn't reckless enough to actually test the theory.
Either way, the truth was obvious. I was strong, ridiculously so. And not just me.
Gwen, now an energy being, could perform the same feats Verdona once had, but with far less effort. In fact, she surpassed her. Gwen said she could spread her shields across an entire city, toss mountains aside like stones, even part the sea down to its floor across hundreds of kilometers.
It was absurd. It was insane. And yet…it was fun.
With that much power, we could live comfortably, free of fear.
Then Gwen came over, fresh from washing the dishes, her face thoughtful.
"The funds we secured from gambling might last a month, maybe more. But what happens after that?"
I rubbed my chin, considering her words. An idea struck, and I pulled out my phone to check. The moment I saw it, my eyes lit up.
"What?" Gwen asked. "Did you find something?"
"Oh yes," I said, grinning. "I did."
Cryptocurrency existed in Marvel, which meant mining did too. Normally the process was tedious, demanding, and rarely worth the effort. Normally.
"Gather everything electronic, and grab your computer," I told Gwen, then went around the house collecting devices. Back in the room, I laid them out on the bed and waited for her to add to the pile.
"Alright," I said. "Let the magic begin."
With a thought, the Omnitrix activated, and I shifted into a Galvan.
Grey Matter's intelligence wasn't something that could be measured. But the fact that Azmuth had built the Omnitrix at all spoke volumes about his brilliance.
When I transformed, it was like the world unfolded before me. Strings of numbers floated in my vision, begging to be tugged, rearranged, reshaped. My mind connected seamlessly to everything around me, drawing meaning and invention from even the smallest details.
How hard was it to build a powerful processing unit from scrap? Apparently, not hard at all.
Plastic casings split. Metal plates scattered. Wires were cut, twisted, spliced, not with frustration, but with exacting precision. Grey Matter's tiny hands moved like surgical tools, assembling a configuration that would leave anyone else dizzy just looking at it.
When the work was done, I plugged the cord into the computer and booted it up. Then I designed a self-optimizing algorithm, one that could adapt to any challenge thrown at it.
Five minutes later, it was finished and running.
I shifted back and grinned at Gwen. "What do you think?"
She raised an eyebrow, pointing at the computer. "What exactly did you just do with that?" Her eyes narrowed. "Ben, you didn't hack a bank, did you?"
Given what she knew of Grey Matter's abilities, her concern made sense.
"No." I shook my head. "I built an algorithm to mine cryptocurrency. That way we won't have to worry about money again. And it's completely legal."
Gwen frowned. "And how much are we talking?"
"Five thousand," I said smugly.
She gave me a flat look. "Five thousand a month? That's… disappointing."
"No, Gwen." I leaned forward. "Five thousand a day. About a hundred and fifty thousand a month, give or take. Honestly, I had to hold back. Pushing it past a million a day wouldn't have been that hard."
I let myself enjoy the sight of her astonishment. My satisfaction doubled when she jumped into my arms, hugging me tight. She wore only shorts and a sports bra, nothing else.
Her breasts pressed against my chest, sending a rush of arousal through me. I slid a hand along the small of her bare back, rubbing gently, holding her closer. More and more, I realized my feelings for Gwen weren't just attraction. They were also the remnants of Ben's own desire for her.
I pulled her in tighter, ignoring the fact that my erection pressed against her stomach. If she noticed, she gave no sign, making no move to pull away.
We stood there, bodies pressed together, hands roaming slowly, breaths growing heavier. Time slipped past unnoticed until the clock chimed, marking the hour. Only then did we part.
"I should go work out," Gwen said, her face flushed.
I nodded, pointing at the computer. "I'll move this somewhere safe. I'll also forge us some IDs and open a bank account to funnel the money into."
"Okay. See you in a bit."