The "Low-Stakes" meter didn't just break; it shattered into sixteen different timelines at once. Middleton High's football field had become the epicenter of a Multiversal Omni-Sync.
["Danny! The 'Anchor' energy has reached a critical resonance!"] Sheila's voice was barely audible over the sound of a thousand ticking watches. ["Professor Paradox and Ben 10,000 have initiated a 'Dimensional Stabilization' protocol. They've pulled every stable 'Possible' Ben Tennyson into our zip code to prevent a 'Total Chronos-Collapse'. And they brought a few 'Variables' for good measure."]
I stood at the 50-yard line, surrounded by a crowd of kids who all looked like Ben, but... different.
There was our Ben (Prime), looking overwhelmed; a Young Ben (10 years old) who was already transformed into Four-Arms and trying to wrestle Jake Long; a Ben 23 who was complaining about the school's "lack of blue-aesthetic"; and a Gwen 10, who was wearing the Omnitrix with a look of cool, intellectual superiority that made Lisa Loud and Jazz Fenton nod in approval.
"Ah, the Producer," Professor Paradox said, appearing beside me with a bag of 'Time-Traveling' popcorn. "A bit crowded, isn't it? But we needed the 'Possible Protocol' to act as the 'Neutral-Ground' for the Omni-Meeting."
Ben 10,000, a massive, scarred version of our Ben with two Omnitrixes (the Biomnitrix) on his wrists, stepped forward. "The 'Anchor' is pulling on the DNA of the watch, Danny. If we don't 'Sync' the frequencies of every Ben here, the Omnitrix will become a localized black hole. We need the Protocol to manage the 'Interface'."
"Protocol, move in!" I commanded. "This is a Bio-Tech Stabilization mission. Jimmy, Barry, Lisa—sync with the watches! Jenny, you're the 'Prime-Conduit'! Your core can handle the 'Omni-Energy' without glitching!"
The mission was a masterclass in 'Genetic-Logistics.' Jenny stood in the center of the 'Circle of Bens,' her hand transformed into a multi-universal data-hub. As the watches began to glow a violent, neon-green, she reached out and 'Tethered' them to her internal core.
"Danny!" Jenny yelled, her metal skin glowing with the power of a thousand aliens. "The 'DNA-Stream' is too fast! I'm seeing memories of worlds where I'm a To'kustar! Where I'm a Galvan!"
"Stay focused, Jenny!" I yelled, running to her side and grabbing her hand. I looked at the 'Bens.' "Everyone! Turn the dials to 'Safety-Lock'! NOW!"
The 'Bens' (and Gwen 10) slammed their watches in unison. A massive wave of green energy washed over the field. For a second, I saw a 'Holographic-Web' connecting every person in the Protocol—a 'Family-Tree' of heroes that stretched across infinity.
With a final click, the watches went dark. The 'Anchor' stabilized. The 'Omni-Meeting' was a success.
"Nice work, kid," Ben 10,000 said, patting our Ben on the head before turning to me. "The Protocol is... efficient. Paradox was right about you."
"The 'Possible' is always efficient," I said, catching my breath.
I looked at the 'Low-Stakes' meter. 15%. A bit high, but the multiverse was still intact, and Gwen 10 was currently showing Kim how to 'Overclock' a grapple-launcher using Galvanic-logic.
But the romance sub-plots were currently 'Omni-Synched' as well.
Jenny leaned against me, her cooling fans whirring at maximum power to vent the 'Alien-Energy.' She looked at her hand—still holding mine—and then at the many 'Bens' walking away. "Danny? When I was synched to the watches... I saw every version of me. And in every single one, I was looking for a 'Possible' boy with a vest and a plan. It turns out you're a 'Universal-Constant' for more than just time."
"I'm glad to be your 'Constant,' Jenny," I whispered, kissing her metal forehead.
Jenny's eyes glowed a soft, pulsing violet.
Meanwhile, Cyd was currently arguing with Ben 23 about the color of his 'Blue-Big-Chill.' "It's tacky! Our Ben's 'Green' is much more 'Natural'!"
Ben (Prime) grinned, looking at Ellie and Gwen 10. "See? I told you I was the 'Original' for a reason."
I looked at the team: the Middleton crew, the Amity ghosts, the geniuses, the many-watch heroes, and the New York Dragon. We were a family of many 'Possibles,' and as the sun set over the field, I knew we were the only ones who could handle the "Omni-Event."
["Danny,"] Sheila's voice rang in my ear. ["I've updated the dossier. New Entry: 'Multiversal-DNA Synchronization.' Also, Ben 10,000 just 'Upgraded' your glasses. You can now see 'Alternate-Timelines'... but I've disabled that feature so you don't get a headache. You're welcome."]
"Good girl, Sheila. Let's go get some pizza. No 'Alien' toppings."