To any and all fans still keeping track of this story… I am sorry. I am sorry that it took over a year for me to do the final chapter. I got distracted by other stories, and gaming, and life in general. But we are finally here. The end of the last story arc, and thus the end of Ben DxD.

It's been a great run. I learnt so much from writing this, and I fully admit that there were some great and not-so-great moments to it. But I suppose it was my second story, and every story you write is a learning process.

So I just want to thank all my fans for sticking around this long, long time. I hope I give this a fitting send off.

Chapter 32: I am Alpha and Omega

"…And that's pretty much everything about us." Issei said, having just finished explaining their powers, what they were, and the events that led up to this point. Talking about how they were demons (or Devils; it was one or the other, as if they were any different), and how they had weird skills like summoning swords, holy and unholy magic, time manipulation, and something that might just be pure destructive power. "So no matter what this world throws at us, we'll be ready. And we can beat the shit outta whatever's trying to take control of Bri."

"Uh huh." Rex said slowly. "So… how comfortable are you guys around EMPs? You've got all your gizmos shielded against them and stuff?" Because personally, he found their so-called 'magic powers' to sound ridiculous. Demons and Angels and Dragons. Those were just stories and made up legends backward people came up with to explain things. The weather just wrecked your home? You must've insulted some god. You start getting hives on your body? A witch obviously cursed you. Whatever these guys really were, they were probably still human. Just… enhanced. Probably some kind of nanotechnology-based abilities for building things out of thin air. The magic? Energy blasts. Maybe the Destruction magic was some kind of disintegrator ray.

Some of their group looked confused by the question, but Issei looked like he was ready to fight. Their leader, Rias, gave Rex a cold look. "Mr Salazar, what exactly are you implying?"

"Hey, I'm just saying. What sounds more plausible? That you guys are demons from Hell – and maybe half of you were originally human before you 'sold your souls' – and you use weapons and powers that range from bloodline-based magic to centuries-old weapons that have fused to your souls? Or the idea that you're just altered humans using advanced tech to pretend to be something you're not?"

Bobo nodded. "If you're gonna come up with a lie, make sure it's believable. The Heaven and Hell routine is a bit much."

"I don't know guys. Maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt." Rex's best friend (who wasn't a co-worker or a monkey) said. But he didn't really believe it. Rex knew Noah was only saying that so that he could get to hang out with the supermodel-beautiful girls.

Issei charged right into Rex's face, teeth bared. "You calling me a liar, American? How about you try saying that to my face in a fight?" His left hand glowed as a red gauntlet formed around it.

Rex smirked. "Bring it on, chump. I don't get many chances to kick someone's ass twice in one day." He stepped back to give himself some room, nanites covering his fists and forming his patented Smack Hands.

But Holiday, like a nagging mom, interrupted them both. "That's enough. Both of you. No fighting each other. We don't know when your friend pops up, and you can't help her if you're busy in the sick bay. Rex, stop antagonising our guests."

"You do believe us, don't you?" Rias asked her. Holiday sighed.

"I'm not sure. Before, I would've agreed with Rex. Even if I would've said it more tactfully." He gave her a sheepish grin as she glowered at him. "But science is all about learning and discovering new things. I've already met one person who didn't fit with everything I thought I knew; I can't really just throw the possibility of magic out the window without some proof." Having said her piece, she turned back to the large screen before her, tapping away at her tablet.

Rex shrunk his hands back down. "You're lucky that Holiday pulled you out of the fire. I would've totally owned you if we had that fight." He said cockily.

"Yeah. You keep telling yourself that, American." Issei stomped back over to his team to sulk.

The problem was that they had been waiting her for hours already, and there wasn't any sign of their friend anywhere. After the initial attack on New York, there had been nothing. Even the newest villains popping up everywhere had been keeping quiet. Rex didn't like it one bit; and he had a habit of mouthing off when he got nervous.

Just when he was about to try and find some other way of relieving the boredom – like encouraging Noah to try his luck with one of the girls – Holiday's screen started flashing, a dull throb of an alarm sounding from it. Everyone was immediately on their feet, alert and ready.

"I'm picking up some unusual energy." Holiday explained as they crowded around her. "Definitely not registered under anything in our systems. It could be your missing friend." Her brow furrowed as she looked at the data. "It's strange though. I could almost swear I've seen this before." The map focused on the wilderness of Texas, on some old worn-down oil refinery. White Knight's face appeared in the upper right of the screen.

"I hope you're all packed." He said without humour. "Your flight is leaving, effective immediately."

(**/*\**)

They were all seated inside a Providence transport ship, along with Six and a bunch of elite Providence agents. All of them was looking at a screen being projected on the wall, Six in charge of the mission briefing.

"We've done some digging about the refinery we're heading to." He was saying. "And we've found some rather interesting facts."

"Like the fact that it's lame?" Rex interrupted. "Or is this place really an underground lair for some has-been mad scientist?"

"Close. It used to belong to a man known only as Roswell. You might know him better as one of the members of the now-defunct Consortium. After his crime spree, most of his stocks were put on ice, and his property was put into liquidation. This is one of the few pieces that still belong to him." He gave a glance at the confused Devils. "For those of you unaware, the Consortium was a secretive organisation interested in obtaining immortality and incredible power. They funded the Nanite Project in an attempt to reach these goals, and their first attempt to take power was only stopped by the release of the nanites, effectively meaning that they are responsible for the Nanite Event."

Issei raised his hand. "Why would Bri be interested in some poor loser who tried to take control of the world?"

"We're not certain yet. But he's not just a monetary-challenged man. He and the rest of the Consortium managed to gain limited access to a special type of nanite known as the Meta-Nanites. These five nanites had the power to tap into the very foundations of reality. Luckily for us, they were specifically coded so that only Rex could use them to their full potential, and he deactivated them months ago. But Roswell at the very least still has access to his part of the Meta-Nanites. Specifically, control over elements. He expresses it in the form of both fire and ice attacks, with fire hot enough to melt steel and ice cold enough to flash-freeze anything."

"You said there were five Meta-Nanites. Are there five members of the Consortium?" Rias asked.

Six nodded. "We have reason to believe that if Roswell has been hiding out here, then so have the other members. The other nanites had powers over time and space, gravity, technology, and matter and energy. So that means that you will be fighting people who can make you weightless or too heavy to move; can teleport and reverse time for themselves; can generate energy blasts and absorb attacks; and build far superior versions of Rex's machines. Bring them in if at all possible. Otherwise, our mission is to capture and bring in a lost friend. She's apparently being controlled by hypnotism, so she'll likely attempt to use lethal force. Try your best to bring her in unharmed."

Rex raised his hand. "Hey, Six? I've just got a question. Why is it that the stuff we need to bring in unharmed is always the stuff trying to kill us?" Everyone turned to give him a look. "What? It always is."

"Our real target is a shapeshifter, able to access a variety of combat-ready forms. If it looks non-human, assume it is capable of ruining your day." A red light flashed; the signal that they were over the drop zone. "Alright. Anyone wanting to take the express elevator, now is your chance."

"Way ahead of you, Six." Rex replied, already flipping down his goggles and heading for the access hatch. It opened wide, the wind buffeting the crew. Without stopping, Rex jumped out with a holler, angling his arms and legs for streamline movement. He waited until he was only a couple of miles up before activating his Boogie Pack, flying down to the refinery instead of falling.

And was a bit surprised to see the demons flying around him, black bat wings extended from their waists.

"What? Did you think we were going to let you go in guns blazing without us?" Issei asked.

"Six said we could try and talk to Bri first, before we attempt to bring her in. See if we can get through to her that way." Rias explained.

"Oh, yeah. The power of friendship. That always works when someone's been hypnotised or 'possessed'." Rex said.

"Why do you have to be such an ass?" Issei asked angrily. "Ever since we've arrived here you've been insulting us non-stop."

"Wrong. Absolutely wrong. I'm sure there's been a moment or two where I haven't said anything about you guys." That didn't seem to please Issei. "Look. Sometimes my mouth starts running. I say things without thinking them through. So how about we just ignore the things I say, so you guys can grab your friend and leave as quickly as…"

One wall of the refinery exploded outwards with impressive force, a small humanoid flying through the air to smash into an abandoned oil rig not far away. From the wreckage came a large horned monster, covered in a black spiked shell and with a spiked ball attached to its tail. One hand was pointed forward, resembling some kind of gun instead of a limb. Red lines ran across its skin like giant veins, pulsing and throbbing. Even from up here, Rex could hear the nanites inside of it.

"Whoa." Was all Rex could say.

"Bri." That was Rias, looking concerned for her friend. "We need to get her attention. Kiba, throw some swords at her. Try not to hurt her too badly, but remember that she can take a hit like that."

"Got it Madam President." Kiba answered, flying lower and faster as two blades formed in his hands. The beast saw him coming and pointed his hand-gun at him, firing explosive rounds at its so-called friend. Xenovia flew down and joined him, slashing with the flat of her giant sword.

Rex was about to join in – maybe clear the LZ, or whatever they called it – but he was momentarily distracted by an energy bolt smiting him out of the sky. His Boogie Pack smoking, he fell to the ground with a scream. Issei immediately grabbed him under the arms as Rex detached the ruined build. They both landed with only minor bumps. And found a man wearing a black bodysuit with orange energy cracks running across it standing before them, leaning against a broken post and with one hand pressed against his side. His other hand was pointed towards them.

"Ah. Mr Salazar and his Providence allies." The man said in a posh accent. "Should have realised that gutter worms like yourselves would choose this moment to bother us." His hand started glowing, energy crackling up it. "I would love to deal with you at my leisure – what with you ruining our attempt at becoming gods – but I have more pressing matters to deal with. But at least I will have the pleasure of dealing with you myself."

"Move!" Rex called out, rolling away even as he created his Block Party. Issei jumped ridiculously far, but luckily for him Haden-Scott was more interested in going for Rex. He kept firing blast after blast, forcing Rex back step by step. Where the hell was everyone else? Were they busy having a party without him?

A yellow bolt of lightning arced down towards Haden-Scott, his body absorbing it. But it did get his attention, making him look up at the raven-haired girl flying above. Akeno. Dressed in some pretty form-fitting robes. And then Issei flew in, slamming his fist into Haden-Scott's face. He went flying pretty far, slamming into another oil rig before falling to the ground.

Noah ran over to him, other Providence Agents running past. "Dude!" He said excitedly. "Akeno just got naked before those robes appeared. You won't believe the amount of skin I just saw."

"Can we talk about that later? I think we're a little busy right now to worry about girls." He looked up at the battlefield, and saw everyone heading towards the refinery. The target was missing. "Where is everyone going?"

"Six's orders. The demon kids have their friend busy. The rest of us are to bring the Consortium to justice. I've gotta admit, I'm having a hard time deciding whether I'd prefer fighting the shapeshifter more or less than bringing those guys in."

"Just be careful around Roswell. I don't think he's too concerned about setting people on fire." Rex made the Sky Slyder and flew into the refinery, finding plenty of damaged stuff inside. Either everyone here were fast workers, or there were more players in the…

A dark-blue blur from the corner of his eye. And then something big and tough and strong slammed into him. Claws gripped his Slyder hard enough to dent it, and he was sent into a downward spiral. The attacker launched itself off of him, the force slamming him against the ground. He groaned as he rubbed his head, forming a weapon as he rose. He arched an eyebrow when he saw his opponent.

"Biowulf? I thought you were your own boss now. How come you're still someone's lap dog?" Rex asked him.

The Evo wolf-man growled. "Sometimes you're not given much of a choice." And he lunged for Rex. The two traded blows, metal clashing against metal. But Rex could immediately tell that Biowulf wasn't going for the kill. His attacks were weaker, easier to predict than last time. He was holding back.

"Then spill. Who's in charge here, and why are you guys all the way out here?"

"Our new leader is some relic of the Nanite Project. Something from before it was unleashed upon the world. He wants to make himself a god, and he's after the Meta-Nanites to do so."

"But… But they're deactivated. Like, forever. And the Consortium's only got trace energy from them."

"It will be enough, apparently. For him at least." Biowulf forced Rex to take several steps back, planting his sword into the ground for stability.

"And what's to stop you from telling him where he could shove that idea and just walking away?" Rex asked.

"Oh Rex. Some people just can't take no for an answer." A new voice answered. A familiar voice. Out of the nearby shadows stepped out a pale-skinned man, with lank black hair and a white streak. One hand was covered by a large gauntlet, crafted from black metal and with a red glow. "And some people just can't see the heart of the matter and make the wrong enemy." Van Kleiss continued saying.

"Van Kleiss? I thought Breach dragged you guys as far away from Earth as possible. Did she get tired of her new dolls?" Van Kleiss responded by tossing a bundle at Rex. He grabbed it instinctly out of the air. It was a tattered piece of a red skirt, wrapped around a severed grey-skinned hand.

"Breach didn't take kindly to working for someone else. This is all that's left of her now. If only she had been willing to play nice." Rex stared at the hand in shock. Breach… She may not have been the easiest person to get along with, but she was his friend. She was a good person broken by her experiences.

And it sounded as though Kleiss just let her die.

"You… You monster!" He shouted, engaging his saw and charging straight for Kleiss. Van Kleiss pointed his gauntlet at Rex, panels and lens folding out until it transformed into a cannon, and fired a blast at Rex. He blocked it with his shield, but the force behind it still sent him flying. He quickly disengaged his blade before he chopped himself with it.

Van Kleiss folded up the cannon, flexing his fingers. "A little gift from my new boss. A simply fascinating piece of alien tech, if I do say so. And with so many uses." There was a rumbling, and the far wall exploded. A thickset man in white armour and a dome head crashed through, followed by a black-armoured creature. Red energy flowed around it, and with a cry of pain, it shifted into a lizard-like creature on wheels. "I'd love to show them all to you, but I've got more urgent matters to attend to. Biowulf, take care of him. And if you succeed, do help Skalamander with the Consortium. Don't want any of them getting away now, do we?" Biowulf growled again, but Van Kleiss turned towards the fight. The Consortium member, Reddick, made everything around him float into the air, including his opponent. But it responded by kicking out at some debris, using what little momentum it had to fly towards the wall before bouncing off and slamming into him. Reddick created a tornado of debris, but the creature worked its way through with surprising ease, landing dozens of blows in rapid succession. Van Kleiss charged his cannon, and blasted Reddick through the next wall.

Strange. Now that Rex thought about it, he could've sworn he saw that same lizard before.

Whatever. That thing was the Bri Girl. Rescuing her was their mission. But right now, stopping her from trying to obtain the Meta-Nanites was key. He'll have to deal with Biowulf quickly then.

He formed his Smack Hands, and charged in with a loud yell.

(**/*\**)

"First these filthy Evos, then Providence, and now some brats are here? I will tear the lot of you apart." Issei was fighting a green robot with large shoulder pads, both of them trading punches and blows. Though for some reason, most of Issei's missed. He would dodge them, and then hammer him with a bunch of rapid blows. In fact, half the time he moved as if he knew where Issei was punching. It was really annoying. And painful.

"Suck it, dirtbag." Koneko replied, tossing some wrecked metal towards them both. Issei dodged it at the last second, but he swore he saw the robot teleport away. As soon as he landed, he saw it standing behind Koneko, now fist fighting with her. And doing just as well as he did against Issei.

We need to land one really powerful blow. Issei thought to himself. Something this guy can't dodge or recover from. And first off, they'll need a distraction.

Step one came about when Kiba landed not far from them, sliding across the ground. He looked a little banged up.

"What happened to you?" Issei asked him as he ran over. Maybe Kiba's speed could match this guy. Beat him at his own game.

"I made a mistake." Kiba replied. "I thought Xenovia and I had Bri pacified, but she was just changing into Clockwork. Getting punched a dozen times in an instant is not as fun from the other side."

"Where is Xenovia?" He wondered aloud. The blue-haired girl was missing, her sword jutting from the wall. There were a lot of slash marks around it, like someone tried to shred her to pieces. And there were also some crystals stuck everywhere.

"No idea. A black robot smashed through while fighting some vampire guy, and we lost track of each other. I'm more concerned about Bri though. She's still under control of whoever this is, and I don't know if we can break his hold on her." They both glanced up to see that Koneko was slowly losing to this teleporting speed demon.

"Alright then. We'll come up with more ideas afterwards. Right now, we really need to deal with this asshole. And I think I've got a plan." Issei said.

"And the world trembles."

"Shut up. I need you to play decoy for me. You're the only one fast enough to beat him. Watch out though, he's good at predicting your moves."

"Ok. Then what? What's going to happen while I'm playing decoy?"

"Koneko will smash him with something heavy, and then I blast him with full power to kick his ass. He'll be down and out before he even knows what hit him."

"…Well, it's not your worst idea. Let's do it." Kiba brandished his sword, and charged into the fight. His blade bit into the robot, making him scream in a human-like way as his arm fell away…

His blade missed the robot, but only because he quickly duck and fell over. And it still managed to leave a deep groove on his skin. The robot let out a high-pitched squeal and started running away, tripping over himself as Kiba appeared before him with great speed. Panicking, the robot teleported away, going who knows where.

A small banging sound echoed, as something fell through the roof of the refinery.

"…My idea would've worked." Issei said sulking. "You only scared him because he acted like you severed his arm."

"That's what's so strange about this. I was aiming to cut his arm off." Kiba replied. "He was acting like he knew where I was aiming. Do you think he has some kind of clairvoyance?"

"Maybe. Would definitely explain how he could fight us so well." Issei shook his head. "But we're losing focus here. We've gotta find Bri and snap her out of this. How do we do that?"

"There's a few ways to overcome brainwashing, hypnotism, or possession. We've already tried having her fight through the power of friendship, so that mainly leaves either beating the one controlling her, of injure her enough that he's forced out."

"So we're either fighting one of the biggest badasses on the team, or we're fighting someone we can't even find." Issei summed up.

"Basically, yes."

"Great. Well in that case, let's find the others. We're gonna need everyone to do this." Issei looked up, watching Rias and Akeno duking it out with the guy who absorbs energy. He was frozen in place, Akeno and Rias smacking him around while Providence pulled him down to the ground. That must be Gaspard's work no doubt. "Koneko, go and get the president. Kiba and I will look inside for Xenovia. And bring Asia with you. We might need some healing."

"No shit." She replied bluntly, running off towards the fight. Meanwhile, Issei and Kiba ran towards the battered refinery, now looking much more precarious. Another loud crash came from within, making bits and pieces flake off. They immediately found a room covered in scorch marks, icicles, and bullet holes. On one wall was a scorched outline, a red handprint in the middle of it.

In the next, they found Xenovia attacking a robot wearing black armour with purple lights. One hand was a large energy blade, while the other was some kind of energy mace-cannon. And surprisingly, she seemed to be fighting Xenovia on equal footing.

Xenovia shouted as she slashed with Durandal, bringing it down over her head. The black robot dodged the strike, firing her mace at her. When it wrapped around her blade, the robot unleashed an electric charge. But Xenovia weathered through it and swung her sword free, sending the robot flying. But all that did was give it somewhere else to land. And then it spotted the two of them.

"Where are you children all coming from?" The robot woman said in a frustrated tone. "I haven't got time for this. Not with Salazar's murderous nanite after me." She pointed her cannon at them, firing a powerful blast that they had to dodged. Issei bounded up to her, fist at the ready. She blocked it, but his strength pushed her away. Obviously not wanting to test her luck, she blasted through the wall and booked it, leaving the three of them be.

"She's skilled." Xenovia said. "Perhaps once we have rescued Bri from this new foe, I could come back and fight her again."

"Focus, Xenovia. Bri first." Issei looked around. "And where the hell did Rex go anyway? The last I saw of him he was gliding inside."

One of the walls exploded violently, things flying through the gap. The whole structure started groaning and shaking, beams and girders falling like rain. No words had to be spoken; they all started running for the exit. Issei saw a dome of crystal forming around the far wall, acting like a barrier as the whole place fell down on top of it. Dust billowed everywhere, blocking their sight and making them all cough. The Occult Club took to the air, trying to find some clean air to breathe again. After taking several large gulps, they turned back to the scene of destruction.

"Holy shit." Issei said. "I didn't think it would fall that fast." There was hardly anything left standing; just rubble and wreckage in a slightly square shape. The Consortium wasn't going to get a deposit back on this.

"Whoa. I was almost in that." They heard Rex say. He was flying next to them, also looking surprised. "I'm not sure your friend…"

"She'll have made it." Issei said confidently. "Bri's tougher than she looks. She'll have been the one wrapping herself in that crystal. Let's dig her out." They all flew back down, towards the Providence agents surveying the scene. The biggest mound, crystals poking through the top, shook as the crystals separated. Everyone got ready to fight, or help those injured in the crash.

The dome parted to reveal the large dome-headed guy, choking and being held aloft. A woman with a flaming skull was holding him, her hand stretched incredibly far to wrap around him. As they got closer, she opened her mouth wide, and a grey mist flowed from the man to her. He screamed as his plating darkened, until he stopped moving and turned into dust.

Issei didn't want to admit it, but the woman's figure was a good match for Bri.

"No." He heard Rex whisper. "It… It can't be." The woman turned towards them and looked up, somehow having heard him.

"Brother. You have returned." Bri said, her voice overlaid with a man's voice. "It is so good to see you again, Omega."

"Alpha." Rex exclaimed.

It was impossible. It was ludicrous. It was completely unbelievable. Alpha had been trapped inside a super-dense ball of nanites. He had been thrown into a prison dimension, attached to another dimension. He should've been gone for good.

And yet here he was. Alpha – An artificial intelligence that could absorb and control nanites; determined to conquer the world or become a god; his brother's greatest failure – had somehow returned.

And he was after the Meta-Nanites. The Consortium had nothing on him. They were Saturday morning cartoon villains compared to him.

"How is this even possible?" He asked in shock. "You were locked away. Two times over."

"Poor confused brother. It was not that hard to break free of the nanites. And I had already broken out of the Null Void once before. But all my efforts might have been in vain, if it weren't for the gift you left me." Alpha explained. Rias gave him a solid look.

"You know this guy?" She asked.

Rex nodded. "A rogue AI. He developed a bit of a god complex and doesn't care what happens to anyone else. He's one of those villains you just love to hate."

"Give us back our friend, you walking trashcan!" Issei shouted at Alpha.

"Ah, Issei Hyoudo. Still as brash as ever. And such terrible words. I am far more than a mere 'trashcan'. I am the future."

"You still haven't explained how you got here of all places. Or what you're doing in that girl." Rex took over. "You know, I've got half a mind to call Ben 10 over so we can kick your sorry butt all over again."

"I thought you might. So I took the liberty of putting a stop to that plan." He looked at his limbs, twisting and twirling them. "He looks very different than the last time we fought. A very powerful and complex replacement of his Y chromosomes. Just one of the ways magic can exceed technology. For now, I suppose."

Replacement of his Y chromosomes? Ben looks very different? Bits and pieces, including the familiar forms Alpha took before, finally clicked into place. He gave the demons a glare.

"Did any of you guys consider maybe mentioning that your friend was Ben 10? It would've been really nice to know ahead of time." He asked acidly.

"We wanted to protect Ben's privacy." Issei explained. "How would you feel if some jerks came along and changed your gender against your will?"

"As entertaining as this is, can we please hurry along now?" Van Kleiss asked politely. He was standing over Black Knight, his gauntlet cannon at the ready. "We have a few plans waiting; ones that don't require having Providence butting in along the way."

"Oh no, you creepy vampire bastard. You're not going anywhere. We're going to beat your ass to the curb, free our friend, and then kick your boss' cyber-ass till there's nothing left."

"Yeah. What he said." Rex added.

"A pity." Alpha sighed. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to resort to violence." He cried out in pain, his voice now all feminine as red veins stretched across his skin. He was covered in a black carapace, his clothes shifting to resemble something from the Wild West. Providence opened fire, but more crystals blocked their sight. Skalamander. He had to be here somewhere. Playing defence. Taking down Alpha would be ten times more difficult with him in the picture.

But it would definitely explain why the Pack was working for him, even if they didn't like it. He saw what Alpha could do. He could drain nanites so thoroughly the actual flesh would turn to dust and disintegrate. He managed to affect an entire Evo city once. If he could obtain the Meta-Nanite powers, he could cause another Event. And then drain everyone at will.

His thoughts turned to Breach. She tried to stand against him, tried to protect herself and the world. And he killed her.

She was never coming back.

Rage flooded through him. No matter what happened, no matter how injured he got, he wouldn't rest until Alpha was destroyed once and for all.

"Raargh!" He screamed as he flew, Smack Hand extended forward. Down below, there was a human-sized lizard walking on two legs, one arm covered by a crystal club. Skalamander. He looked up as he heard Rex shout, and he fired crystals at him like bullets. But Rex had fought and beaten him plenty of times before. He dodged those crystals with ease, getting closer and closer. Skalamander changed tactics, erecting a crystal barrier to impede him. Rex slammed into it, his fist spinning like a drill. He could feel the metal and crystal grinding against each other, wearing away and breaking apart. He readied his other hand, and as soon as his first Smack Hand shattered, he slammed the second one against the crystal.

"Rex." He looked up to see Rias flying over him, her hands glowing a deep red. "Allow me to clear a path." He nodded, pulling away as she held the glowing energy above her head. When she threw it at the barrier, the crystal immediately shattered. She then focused her power into a beam, tearing away at the barrier until there was nothing. Rex flew through the opening, forming his Funchucks as he closed in. Spinning them around and around until they were glowing brightly, He slammed them both into Skalamander. The sheer power and force sent the lizard flying, crashing through the debris. As he went in for a second attack, Koneko flew past him and crashed into Skalamander's position. When the dust cleared, she was lifting him over her head and slamming him repeatedly against the ground. She then slammed him back down, grabbed a long metal girder, and used it like a baseball bat, sending him flying towards Rex. Rex obliged the attack by smashing his chucks down on top of Skalamander, sending hm crashing to the ground.

When they landed, he was out cold. A trickle of blood ran down from his mouth, and he was making little groaning noises.

"Don't get back up, Skalamander. For your sake." Rex said coldly. He should've done something to save his teammate. Anything. Alpha wasn't unbeatable.

And he was going to prove it.

"Let's head back. They'll probably need our help against Alpha." He said.

"Right." Rias agreed.

(**/*\**)

Van Kleiss had a special mission. One of great importance. Alpha wanted the Meta-Nanites, and it was his duty to help him collect them. Alpha had already absorbed Roswell and Reddick; Xanubian ran for it like a coward, and was probably somewhere inside the wreckage; and Providence had captured Haden-Scott. So that just left Black Knight as the only variable still remaining. And the only threat left of the Consortium.

They both clashed blades, his gauntlet having linked fingers to create a long glowing sword. He wasn't entirely certain, but he imagined that Knight was glaring at him. "You know you can't beat me." She said firmly as they traded blows. "I was the prototype after all; the first test subject of the Nanite Project. I'm stronger than Salazar, and you couldn't beat him either."

"That may have been true once." He admitted, acting calm and with poise. "But times have changed since then. After all, I nearly managed to win the last time, didn't I? If Cesare hadn't coded the Meta-Nanites to only work at their full potential for Rex, then I would be leading a new world right now." He jumped away, his blade glowing brighter. He swung it overhead, and a beam slashed through the air. Black Knight dodged it. "And I'm afraid your technology isn't as advanced as you think it is. Not anymore." His sword had lines forming along its length, turning it into segments. He swung his whip at her, the head homing in on her as she flew away. It wrapped around her ankle and shocked her with a powerful charge, before he slammed her against the ground and sent her skidding. He released her, and his fingers morphed into cannons, blasting her over and over. When the dust cleared, she landed back on the ground again. He turned his gauntlet back into a hand and admired it. "I'll be the first to admit that what mankind has achieved is certainly impressive. But it pales in comparison to what alien technology is capable of doing." Black Knight got back up, and created an energy cannon to blast him with. He simply extended his hand, and a barrier formed before him, absorbing the attack before sending a blast back at her. "You know, Alpha was informing me of the amazing things that have happened in this alternate dimension Salazar sent him to. And one thing he mentioned was that there is an actual nanotechnology-based species out there. As in all its people are machines made from nanotechnology. It was an accident apparently; some brilliant alien scientist tried to use technology to make a moon habitable when it went a bit out of control. But instead of infecting people and turning them into 'monsters', it simply created an entirely new race. And these aliens accepted them with ease. Why, they're not considered as much people as you and me. That's the world we're hoping to create; one where those blessed by nanites won't be…"

"Can it, Kleiss." Black Knight interrupted. "You don't fool me with all that talk. You're just interested in power. The only way this 'world' of yours happens is as long as you're holding the reins." She created her mace, throwing the head right at him. The cable wrapped around his gauntlet, and now he was the one being dragged around.

But Van Kleiss just smirked, as his Gauntlet arced with electricity. It raced up the cable, and Black Knight screamed in pain as she was electrocuted.

"Face it, my dear." He said as he got back up, tugging the mace off his arm. "I have a counter for everything you can throw at me. It would make thing so much easier to just surrender your Meta-Nanite energy. I assure you, it's relatively painless."

"N… Never." She grunted.

Van Kleiss tutted. "A pity. I was so hoping we could take the easy way for once." Energy bands flowed from his fingers like spider silk, wrapping around her again and again. Only once she was completely bound did he stop. "Do try to avoid struggling. They release a rather powerful shock if you attempt to break free." There was a muffled cry as the bands glowed, and Black Knight writhed. "Yes. Rather like that."

And having caught his target, he turned to his master's battle, waiting to see who the victor was. If Alpha won, then his immediate future was ensured.

And if Providence won, then he'll have at least one part of the Meta-Nanite.

"Take this, Bastard!" Issei shouted as he charged for the crystal barrier, Boosted Gear charged and ready.

"EXPLOSION!" it shouted, as a wave of energy slammed into the barrier. The crystal shattered and fragmented under the sheer power, breaking away to reveal Alpha. She had taken on a new form, one that none of them had seen before. It resembled a sexy cowgirl, but if the girl had snakeskin and double-jointed knees, making her legs zig-zag. She wore some pretty daring daisy dukes, a short vest over a tight bondage-like top, and the standard cowboy hat on top. Gun barrels were folded up against her forearms, with varying lengths and thicknesses. From what they could see of her face, it was pretty featureless, save for the glowing eyes. Red cracks covered her skin and clothes, signs of Alpha's possession.

Alpha shook his head. "A pity. I was hoping that Skalamander would've lasted for longer."

"Hey! Give us back our friend, you dickless bastard!"

"I see that you're still fond of crude language. There's no need to be uncivilised. I'm simply putting Ben 10's skills to better use; mine. And I'm not doing this for the sake of power. I plan on making all worlds better places. Utopias. No more fighting, no more war, or disease or hatred. It will be paradise."

"Lots of people have different ideas on what paradise is." Xenovia said. "And I think your idea is vastly different from ours."

"That is because you do not wish to face the root of all your problems. People. People are why the world is so broken. They must be removed, for their sakes."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Xenovia charged forward to fight, but Alpha folded out massive barrels over her fingers, and started firing. She blocked them with her sword, but the sheer force behind the bullets sent her skidding back. Changing tactics, she took to the air, outpacing the slowly-fired rounds. So Alpha switched to a different barrel, firing faster and faster. Issei moved forward too, firing a much weaker blast as a distraction. Providence also joined in, forcing Alpha to jump away. But even as she was moving, she was letting off trickshot after trickshot. Providence agents ducked or fell, either dodging the bullets of falling to them. One of Alpha's barrels folded back, and she started pressing down on a level sticking out of her hand. Her rate of fire increased, allowing her to take out a dozen agents in seconds. Kiba used that time to get in really close, where her guns would be less effective. Alpha ducked and weaved, but he was clearly at a disadvantage. So he pressed a hand to the corrupted red dial on his chest, twisting it. A wave of red energy enveloped him, changing his form. Her scales turned pitch black, smoke billowing from them. Her legs fused together like a snake's tail. Her outfit changed into a heavy cloak, with armour plating underneath and covering her skin. A shadowy energy covered her spiked hands, and her face peered out from under a flared snake hood. A bone-white mask hide most of her face.

The shadowy energy flowed down her arm into her hand, forming a large hand cannon. But when it fired, it thundered like a shotgun. Kiba had to dodge the blast, and then Alpha turned into billowing smoke and chased him. When he reappeared, Alpha wrapped around him tightly, turning back into a snake. The mask lifted upwards, revealing an absolutely massive mouth, venom dripping from her fangs. Kiba tried to struggle free, but her grip was too strong.

"Remember me?" Issei called out, slamming into the two of them and punching Alpha in the face. Surprised and disoriented, Alpha's grip loosened slightly. Just enough for Kiba to struggle free. Alpha formed a grenade launcher and started shooting, forcing Issei to dodge. But while he was distracted, Kiba got one arm free. Just enough to form a sword, and cut into Alpha.

He hissed in pain and turned back into shadow, flowing away and releasing Kiba. When he reformed, black blood flowed down to the ground. With Kiba no longer in harm's way, Akeno joined in with a lightning bolt. It slammed into Alpha sparks flying everywhere as he cried out in pain. The Omnitrix flashed brightly, and his body started changing again. The legs separated as the heavy coat became a short dress with a white apron. The hood turned into pigtails, and the shadow around her arms twisted and shaped into a scythe.

Somehow, Akeno's lightning forced Alpha to turn into Grim Maiden.

"It's damaged." Issei exclaimed, realising. "The Omnitrix is damaged. That jolt must've caused it change automatically. Guys, I think we've got an advantage."

"Kind of." Kiba said, pressing a hand against his rib as Asia healed him. "It'll be down to luck that we don't get something worse. Like Way Big, Atomix, or even Alien X."

"Right. But we can hurt him. Maybe we can even force him out." Issei yelled and charged in again, Ascalon at the ready. But while they were talking, Alpha had been doing something. There was a high-pitched noise as his scythe glowed with Tron lines, and then it started turning into threads. Before he could get close, he found himself bound by those threads. And they were razor sharp too. His body was being carved open.

Rex came flying out of the wreckage of the refinery, a giant cannon resting on his shoulder. He fired rubble directly at Alpha, their aim true. But Alpha flicked at the threads in his hands, and the rubble disintegrated. Rex flew closer, a fist at the ready, but Alpha formed a solid wall of threads. Mercifully, the attack forced them to release Issei, leaving him bleeding and battered. Asia immediately healed him.

"Ugh." He groaned as he got back to his feet. "Man. And I thought Demon Breaker was bad enough. Fighting someone who can change his abilities is really annoying." He looked up to see Rex falling out of the sky, his jetpack shredded by the threads. He landed not too far away from them. Alpha's threads reformed into a scythe, and he jumped really high into the air. Rex blocked it with his hand, but most of it was sheared off. He cried out, pressing it against his chest. A large cut showed through the metal.

"Did I miss something?" He asked as he got closer. "Did he seriously just turn into some kind of maid?"

"Ghost maid, actually." Issei replied while Asia healed Rex. "The good news is that she's not all that durable. And you can tell if you're doing any damage to her."

"How?"

"Her clothes require energy to form. If she's running on empty, she can't keep them sustained."

Rex turned to give him a look. "So… we know we're winning if we strip her down to her underwear?" Issei nodded. "That's just weird. You guys are weird."

"Yeah, yeah. Just start hitting her. And help us come up with some way of getting this Alpha thing out of her." Issei charged forward again into battle, where Kiba and Xenovia were fighting. Alpha was parrying most of their strikes, using the size and range of the scythe to keep them at bay. But they did do some damage. There were cuts and tears in her maid dress, and her bra was peeking through the front.

He concentrated on forming the magic for Dress Break as he closed in. He had to come to a quick stop as Alpha slashed him, barely blocking it with Ascalon. He could barely hold the tip back. Luckily, Alpha pulled it free to deflect Xenovia. Using this moment, Issei managed to press his hand against Alpha's back. He was then slammed away by the back of the scythe, flying through the air for quite a distance.

As soon as he landed, he snapped his fingers.

A tearing sound filled the air, as Alpha's clothes were shredded, leaving her naked. Xenovia and Kiba, used to this kind of thing already, capitalised on the distraction. Alpha reformed her clothes, obviously not understanding how much energy and concentration it took to make them. The scythe was knocked clear from her hand, and Kiba's blade was held under her chin.

Alpha went to press on the Omnitrix, but lightning arced from it. He was engulfed by light, and seemed to grow, and grow, and grow…

"Oh man." Issei muttered, stepping back as he took in all of Way Big. The form was drastically altered, being black and red in colour. The head resembled a demon, surrounded by flames. His ribcage was exposed as more fire billowed. Spikes jutted everywhere, and his hands were tipped with talons.

Rex landed beside him, staring up in shock too. "Could Ben… always do that?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh man. I'm really glad I didn't have to fight that last time." He thought for a moment. "I think I can fight that now. But it's going to be risky."

"Just do it. We don't really have many giant beating tricks up our sleeves."

"Got it." Rex started concentrating deeply, willing with every fibre. His body made that same high-pitched noise, but with groaning metal as his builds covered him. He grew in size, getting taller and taller until he was as tall as Way Big. One hand was a giant crooked sword, while the other was clearly his Smack Hands. Twin cannons pointed up from his shoulders.

Rex roared loudly, and then charged straight for Alpha. Alpha responded by forming cannons on his back, stooping slightly to fire them. Rex was sent flying by the blasts, but he got back up and fired back. As he did so, he ran forward again, slamming into Alpha and stabbing his sword in his side. Rex punched him a couple of times, but then Alpha fired a breath attack at him. Rex stumbled back, giving Alpha room to cross his arms. They started charging with energy.

"Oh no you don't." Issei muttered. "Time for Scale Mail." He charged forward as his body glowed red, armour covering his skin. As soon as it was done, he jumped ahead at incredible speed, slamming into the crossed arms. It was just enough to make the shot miss, heading for the atmosphere. But it was still close enough to destroy one of Rex's arms, metal falling from the wound. Rex responded by stabbing Alpha, over and over again. And Issei climbed up to his face, punching him from there.

Neither of them noticed Alpha press a hand to his Omnitrix.

There was a great glow, and then both of them were blasted back by the power. Issei opened his eyes to see a black version of himself floating above the ground.

"A valiant effort, Red Dragon Emperor." Alpha said calmly. "It appears that your side is tougher than I anticipated. But I hold an advantage that you do not. Ultimate Evolution."

"What the hell does that mean?" Issei asked.

"The Omnitrix sampled the dragon DNA from your Sacred Gear." Alpha explained. "And formatted it into this form. Though I resemble your armoured appearance, I am fully draconic. I am an even match for your right now." He pressed a hand against the Omnitrix. "Imagine how powerful I would be after tens of thousands of years of worst-case scenarios."

Oh no.

He immediately charged forward, hoping to stop him before he could change. But he had metres to cross before he was close. All Alpha had to do was turn a dial. He was blasted back by another wave of energy, and Alpha grew in size again. His body lengthened and thickened, growing massive scales and spikes. Giant wings unfurled from his back as talons erupted from his fists. A giant, incredibly long snake-like dragon took to the skies.

This wasn't some man dressed in dragon armour anymore. This was a pure, one hundred percent dragon.

"Scatter!" Rias shouted, flying away as Alpha roared. The others took to the air, or ran across the ground to get some distance. But despite his size, Alpha was still very fast. He swatted Rias and Akeno out of the air with his tail, crushing them against the ground. He flew overhead breathing fire, nearly roasting Koneko, Kiba and Xenovia. Gaspard grabbed Asia, and both of them vanished from their location. Xenovia took to the air, but her charged attacks were useless against the dragon. It grabbed her with its talons, and prepared to eat her.

Rex suddenly jumped up, stabbing the blade into Alpha. But it didn't go very far, clearly not sharp enough or enchanted. Alpha twisted round, his mouth glowing with power. It blasted Rex with devastating force, turning him into a rain of wreckage. His arm landed not too far from Issei, falling apart to reveal Rex injured.

Providence couldn't help. Not against something that big. Not something that destructive. Despite all their power, some power hungry psychopath was going to use their friend to kill them all.

Rage awakened inside of him, burning far greater than it ever had before. Something built up inside of him, threatening to tear him apart. His body shook as energy overwhelmed it, twisting it into something else. All rational thought abandoned him; he felt only rage.

Giant wings erupted from his back, and he roared loudly enough to shatter the ground around him. Alpha turned towards him, just in time for Issei to slam into his face. He released Xenovia, and the two of them clashed. Alpha's greater size made him tougher, but Issei's speed was far superior. They both clashed again and again, the land around them tearing up from the sheer power of their attacks. Alpha blasted Issei to the ground with a laser breath, but Issei rocketed back into the air. They both grappled and smashed each other, until Issei fired a beam right through Alpha's wings, shearing them off. The villain roared in pain as they both fell, still tearing into each other and blasting each other. They crashed to the ground with force, causing a small earthquake.

Issei felt Alpha's claw tearing through him, but his rage kept him going. Until he just couldn't keep fighting. He couldn't lift his arms, even though he tried. Alpha looked just as bad, missing a part of his jaw.

Was this the end? Would they both de, here and now?

A high-pitched noise filled the air as blue lines covered Alpha's form. Rex stood on top of him, hand pressed against his skin. As he pulled it away, a red orb flowed from Alpha's skin, a black mist flowing towards it. Rex looked in pain, concentrating deeply. As he did so, Alpha started changing. Shrinking in size, and in shape. His wounds mostly healed, missing flesh scabbing over. Issei felt his Scale Mail fading away, and his body was wracked in pain.

In mere seconds, Bri and Issei were lying in the middle of the crater, both badly injured.

Issei heard Asia calling out his name, and then the world went black.

(**/*\**)

When Issei came to, he still felt like he came out the wrong side of the fight. Everything ached so much. He had difficulty breathing. His vision was woozy. And his head felt like it was being hit with an axe if he so much as shifted it. But he still looked sideways, at the bed beside him.

Underneath the white sheets, Bri looked so peaceful.

Smiling despite the pain, Issei released his grip on consciousness.

(**/*\**)

He came to a second time, the pain much, much better this time. He didn't feel like an elephant was sitting on him, nor did he feel like he was in bits and pieces. He got up slowly, looking around the room he was in.

It was clearly Providence, based on the white walls and the design. Some kind of sick bay. Understandable, given what happened. Looking over, he saw Bri still sleeping away.

There was a soft gasp. "Issei." Asia exclaimed, hugging him tightly. He grimaced at the pain. "You're alright." She squealed.

"In theory." He grunted, still hurting. She gasped, and quickly released him, looking embarrassed. He turned to look at her properly. "Is everyone else… alright?"

She nodded. "They're fine. I managed to heal them. But we were all so worried about you. And Bri." She added quickly. "We were worried you both wouldn't make it."

"What happened? Alpha was beating us, and then I got incredibly angry, and then I was fighting Alpha like my life depended on it, and then…"

"Judgement Drive." Issei looked down at his Boosted Gear. "You tapped into the power of the Judgement Drive." Ddraig explained.

"Judgement Drive? What's that?"

"It's a forbidden technique, unique only to the Heavenly Dragons. You bypass all seals placed on your Gear, tapping into all my power. But at a price. Your own life force and sanity are used as fuel to power it. There have been wielders who went too far, and became little more than beasts. You are very lucky that your injuries forced you out of it; you might have destroyed everything."

"Is… is that similar to what Alpha made Bri do?"

"Somewhat. Only Bri turned into a full dragon."

He sighed. Well, at least he knew what had happened to him. He turned back to Asia. "How long has it been? Since the battle?"

"Nearly a week. Dr Holiday wanted you both to stay in the medical bay, until they were certain that you would survive. We were mostly sure about you, but we were worried about Bri. Despite her power, she's still just human."

"Bri's tough. I'd expect her to pull through way faster than me." He smiled, before being serious again. "And Alpha? What happened to him?"

"I… I'm not sure. I didn't fully understand it. But I think… I think Rex trapped him in nanites. And then they had Rias destroy it with her power. They're reasonably certain that he's gone though."

"Good. I'm glad he's dead. Bastard tried to kill us all; he hurt Bri and used her."

Asia smiled, pulling him into a gentler hug. "I was so worried. I thought… That you weren't going to make it. I couldn't imagine a world without you in it." Her hands started fiddling with the ties on his hospital gown. His own hands started moving under shirt, caressing her skin. "You keep facing such horrible odds. I'm worried… I'm worried that one day you won't make it. And… Well… I don't want to lose my… My virginity… to anyone else. And hopefully, I would have someone to remember you by."

"You don't have to act like I'm going to die in five minutes." He said softly in her ear. "But I think it might be good." He lifted her shirt up, pulling it over her head. She undid the hospital gown, revealing his bared chest. He kissed her deeply, as his hands undid her bra, revealing her lovely breasts to him…

"Guys?" A raspy voice interrupted them. "Could you maybe take this elsewhere? Some of us have been through hell." They both gasped and turned. Bri was lying more on her side, looking at them. Still looking battered, still looking exhausted. But definitely awake. She gave a small smile.

"Bri!" Asia squealed, jumping off the bed and gently hugging her too. Bri blushed a little from the contact.

Issei sighed. Ah well. Another time maybe. But at least Bri was back.

(**/*\**)

It was another day before the Providence doctors decided they were well enough to leave. Issei was hoping to find Asia and try again, but apparently the other girls found out about them trying to boink, and made it clear that none of them could have an early lead.

On the bright side, that meant that he would get plenty of ass when it was time. On the down side, it also meant that he wouldn't get any on the side. Guess he'll just have to settle for watching their assets instead.

They were just finishing telling Ben all about what happened while she was under the control of Alpha. Telling her about the new form, and Alpha's plans, and all about Juggernaut Drive. Ben let out a low whistle at the end. "Man, that must've been some fight. I can't believe I was on the wrong side during it all."

"Well, at least we got you back. That's the important part, right?"

"Yeah. I'm just glad that Alpha's out of my head. Though I hope he didn't damage the Omnitrix too much. I swear, everytime I think this thing is fixed, something damages it and it starts glitching on me again." They passed through the final door, and entered the lab. The rest of the Occult Club was already inside, chatting amongst each other. They stopped talking when they spotted the three of them, and quickly ran over to pull them into a group hug. The girls were far more focused on hugging Issei, but they still gave Bri one squeeze each first. She stepped out of the scrum for some space, and nearly walked into Rex. He was giving her a strange look.

"Ben. Hey." He said.

"Hey Rex." Ben replied nervously. Now that he was meeting someone else who knew him as his old self, he was getting a bit self-conscious about his appearance. He searched for something to say. "Sooo… I guess now we have an idea of who's the better fighter. All of you guys just to take me down." He chuckled.

"…So, we're not going to talk at all about your sex change? Or is that normal back in your dimension?"

Ben sighed. "No. These guys aren't even from my dimension. I got dragged elsewhere for some secret mission, but honestly I think they were just lying to me. Especially since the gods over there decided to turn me into a buxom chick in the process. I mean, I've gotten used to it by now; but I want to get my manhood back. I'm not planning on staying like this forever."

Rex nodded. "I could go and help you with those guys. We could give them wedgies and noogies. Maybe even a Wet Willy." Ben laughed.

"I think they're a little beyond us right now. I might talk to a friend of mine and see if he can tell me anything that could help." Dr Holiday walked towards them, holding a tablet in one hand. Ben shook her hand when she approached.

"It's nice to see you again, Ben 10." She said. "I've got some good news for you. Our scans have shown that you are completely cured of all nanites. Rex extracted every last one when he pulled the Alpha out of you."

"Glad to hear that." Ben replied truthfully. The others headed over to them, having finished celebrating.

"Hey, Doc?" Issei said. "I've just got a quick question about Alpha. He's an AI, right? So, how did he gain control over Bri's body like that?"

"The answer is both simple and complicated. But to put it simply, Ben last arrived here when the Nanite Crisis was still ongoing. Not only did he receive a low amount of nanites through the atmosphere, but Rex mistook his alien forms for an EVO, and tried to cure him. All that really did though was put more nanites inside of him. I'm not sure how Alpha escaped or when Ben contracted him, but Alpha managed to gain control over Ben through his nanites. Luckily though, he's completely cured. It won't happen again."

"Glad to hear that." Rias said. "Now, we've abused your hospitality long enough. We should head back to our own dimension." She turned to Ben. "Bri, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all." He replied, twisting the Omnitrix dial.

"If I could just interrupt for a moment." An unfamiliar voice said. They all turned around to see an old man sitting on one of the tables. He was wearing a long white robe, a circular hat, and carried a walking stick in one hand. His hair was pure white, and he had a very long beard that reached to the ground. One of his eyes was covered by a patch resembling a monocle. He was busy looking them up and down, especially the girls.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" Dr Holiday asked. The old man got down from the table, and hobbled towards them.

"I simply opened a rift in space and time. Nothing too complicated." He answered. "As for who I am, I go by many names. My most common one though, is Odin Allfather."

"A god. The leader of the Norse Mythology." Rias exclaimed.

He nodded. "Indeed. And, in this case, I'm one of the people who brought Ben Tennyson to our dimension."

"You are?" Ben asked. Odin nodded again. Ben didn't say anything. He just tapped the Omnitrix, and changed into Ultimate Humungosaur, bringing his fists down on the old man. Odin stopped his assault with one hand, before grabbing him by the hand and throwing him over his head and into the floor, nearly smashing him through it.

"I am far stronger than I appear, Tennyson. Even though I'm weaker than I used to be. Anyway, I'm here just to talk. About you." Ben grumbled as he turned back to normal, climbing out of the crater. He looked up to see that Odin was rather interested in Dr Holiday. "Mind you, there's also the very lovely ladies that are here too." His hand reached for Holiday's skirt…

Holiday whipped out a laser rifle from under the table, and shot Odin in the head. "Hands off. I don't care if you're considered a god. Touch me, and you're losing your hand."

Odin rubbed his forehead. "Beautiful and strong-willed. A man would be lucky to have you."

Rex frowned at him. "Just say what you want and get out." He said gruffly.

"Very well then. To business." Odin was acting more seriously. "I suppose I should explain why we brought you to our dimension. You see, there are those among us who can see the future. And we all saw a future where this Alpha would arrive to challenge the gods… And succeed. And it would only be through your help that he would be stopped before that ever happened. That was why we dragged you away from your home." He paused. "Though obviously, the gender change thing was because we wanted a hot young lady to save us."

Ben frowned. "But… But Alpha only knew about you guys because you dragged me to your dimension. He was locked up in the Null Void, in my dimension. If you had left me where I was, he might've never found out about you."

"Eh?" A slight sweat drop appeared on Odin's face. "Oh. Oooh." He laughed nervously. "I see. Guess we forgot about the rules of time in our haste."

Ben groaned, pressing his hands against his face. "You idiots."

"Well, we probably deserved that. Anyway, because Alpha is now completely destroyed, we have decided that it's probably time to send you home. I'm sure you've got a lot to catch up on back there. Bad guys to beat, worlds to save, all that stuff." He snapped his fingers, and a portal opened next to him. "This will take you home. And if we ever have need of you ever again, we'll send a message through Professor Paradox. I'm sure you'd prefer to hear from him instead."

"I would. But there's one thing you need to do before I go." Ben pointed at his body, his finger pressed against his chest. "You guys owe me a Y chromosome. And a change of clothes."

"Agreed." Odin snapped his fingers, and two magic circles appeared above and below Ben. His body glowed as the circles passed through him, appearing almost blinding. Everyone looked away.

When the glow faded, Ben was back to being himself. His old male self, wearing his normal clothes. He patted himself down quickly before sighing with relief.

Odin sighed. "I'll miss those breasts. They were absolutely wonderful."

The Occult Club gathered round Ben, giving him final hugs and farewells. "We'll all miss you, Ben." Rias said. "But no matter where you are, you will always be an official member of the Occult Research Club."

"Thanks Rias. You keep everyone safe. It'll hopefully be a long while before I need to save you guys."

"Let's hope so." Ben turned to Issei.

Issei gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "You were a great friend Ben. Honestly the boobs have been just a bonus for a while now."

"Your mom can do whatever she wants with my stuff and my room. And… And if you see Sakura… Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye first."

"I'll let her know. Even though she'll see you as a friend now that you've got your bits back." Ben gave him a manly hug, before heading towards Odin.

He gave the Club one last look. "Take care guys. Aside from being a girl, it was great hanging out with you." And then he stepped through the portal. Everything was dark and weightless for a while, but then he found himself sitting on his knees in a field. When he looked up, there was a Mr Smoothy's sign smiling down at him.

He took in a deep breath, eager to get some familiar air. "Home sweet home."

And there we go. After over 2 years, 32 chapters, and one crossover… Ben DxD is complete. There are probably a few threads and plots I've forgotten about and left unfinished, but as far as I can tell, this is all wrapped up in a nice neat little package.

Now, about this chapter itself. I had a bit of a different idea of how the final battle went at first. Alpha still turned into an Ultimate Dragon form, but it would've happened inside a wormhole on the way to the gods of the DxD universe. After he absorbed all the Meta-Nanite remnants from the Consortium. But I just went with the flow of the story and the fighting, and this was where we ended up. I know that normally, the Judgement Drive needs Issei to be calmed down to work, but I felt that something as powerful as the Ultimate Dragon would've damaged him enough to force him out of it. Six and the Providence agents didn't take part because… well, what could they have done? I doubt the Keep (their flying fortress) would've left a dent in Ultimate Dragon.

And for those wondering, Odin sent the Club back home, and sent Azmuth back home too. But he wasn't happy that Ben left him behind. And Ben still has access to all those forms he obtained. Just male versions now.

So once again, a big thank you to all my fans for reading this. I hope you all enjoyed the adventure.

Oh, and Ven Kleiss escaped with Black Knight as his prisoner. Just thought I'd mention that.

Edit: Someone asked me to talk about the new forms we saw in this chapter. I was planning on doing so before, but I forgot about it. So here's the information about them.

Rattle Shot: Rattle Shot is a member of the Anacondan Species, and a subspecies known as Serpenteswalken. Unique amongst their species by the fact that they have legs, Serpenteswalkens live on an arid desert planet known as Aridia. The customs and culture of Aridia is similar to the Earth culture known as the 'Wild West', where everyone is either a farmer, or a bandit. The species economy functions on gunfire, rustler-wrangling, and highway robbery. It is not uncommon for a lawman to be nearly indistinguishable from the criminals they bring in. Some of them were the criminals brought in.

A unique mutation they developed thanks to their scientists is that their hands function as their guns, with different barrels slotting over their fingers to increase their firing speed or power.

Ultimate Rattle Shot: Based on a possible future where the lawlessness of Aridia has risen to dangerous levels, Ultimate Rattle Shot is built to function more as a dangerous mercenary rather than a rustler and thief. Over the thousands of years, their unique legged mutation devolved, restoring them to the tailed state of their species. However, they have now evolved a much larger and more venomous bite, able to bite an average humanoid in half before swallowing. In addition, scientists changed their weapon mutations, allowing them to create a variety of ranged weapons from a shadow-like substance that clings to their arms and flows through their cells, also giving them the ability to teleport short distances. Few of their kind ever bring prisoners in alive. But those who do are considered the best in the business.

As for his appearance, I pretty much based it on a snake version of Reaper from Overwatch. Along with his abilities.