Life On Mars

Ben 10: Road Trip
Season 1, Episode 7
Logo by CaT
Air Date	N/A
Written by	Aaron
Director	Aaron
General Information
Planet(s)	Cranvius Mars Earth
Episode Guide
Previous Dead London	Next Tides of War

Life On Mars is the seventh and final episode of Ben 10: Road Trip's first season. It was written by Aaron.

This page was made after Road Trip was cancelled, and therefore exists only to summarise the intended events.

Plot

Ben rushes to the Ophidian ship. He hurriedly tries to start the ship up, hoping to catch the remnants of the Stardust's trail as it left the Cranvius system. Remembering long ago that Frankenstrike may have had some technology-related abilities that may help, Ben attempts to switch into the alien but receives Powerhouse instead. Ben makes his anger at Ozai known before switching back to his human form. Ozai protests, stating this wasn't his fault, but Ben doesn't believe him. Ozai states that he has detected a signal coming from the Sol System thanks to Powerhouse, and advises Ben that the Stardust must be headed for Mars.

Ozai urges Ben to try Powerhouse again, but Ben- drawing anger from his fear of what could be happening to Sadie- adamantly refuses. They approach the red planet, descending onto its surface nearby to the carefully parked Stardust. A voice manifests in Ben's head, though he ignores it. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him."

Ben, unthinking, rushes out of his stolen ship to return to his own. Ozai saves his life, transforming him into Powerhouse once more in the poisonous Martian atmosphere. While Ben is annoyed at him for taking the moment to use the alien he didn't want to use right now- at this point more to prove a point to Ozai than anything else- the annoyance doesn't last. Ben even manages to ignore the blaring beeps inside his own head. He stumbles and trips through the rough and rocky sand. There, glistening in the orange soil, is the broken body of Sadie.

Powerhouse stands over Sadie. The rhythmic beeping in his head began to sound like a radar, until the voice of one of the Pilots finally breaks through Ben's shock.

Pilot: "Proximity breach!"

Powerhouse rises to full height, power surging through his body and crackling in the air around him, ready to unleash hell. Though he had been expecting to see the Cranvius creature, what he instead saw was two more Powerhouses staring back at him. One of them has a darkened body, with two orange bands down its arms. It has three conducting antennae on its head, and a large orange square just below its silver head with the Theta symbol displayed prominently. The other has a rounded orange head without antennae, instead having two glowing blue circles in their place. A large Theta symbol sits squarely over its bar-like mouthpiece. It has two more blue discs on its shoulders, with three bands around its arms (the central ones being blue).

???: "Welcome back, Colony Alpha. I see your quest was successful."

Ben loses control of his body completely. The pilots begin to speak through him

Powerhouse: "We're breaking a lot of agreements to talk to you like this. So if you want to talk we'll have to be quick. But it is good to see you again, Theta."

Sigma: "No it isn't. Dead London just arrived on this world. I don't think we can stop him this time."

Theta: "After everything, we once again face extinction..."

Powerhouse: "Not yet."

He place his hand on his own chest, drawing attention to the Omnitrix.

Sigma: "You've covered your designation."

Powerhouse: "The name of our colony is now Powerhouse."

Sigma: "You've still yet to convince my colony that your gambit with Azmuth was worth it."

Powerhouse: "Then let us convince you. We must return control to our host, the human Ben Tennyson. But we are sure he can save us. But we must ask of you a favour, please save his friend."

Ben regains control. He stumbles to his knees, his attention still firmly on Sadie's body. Theta agrees to fix her, directing Ben to follow Sigma. Theta sit on the dirt besides Sadie, picking up her body before their casing opens and the Faratin inside set to work- comfortable in the alien atmosphere. Sigma directs Powerhouse to a series of tunnels, far more technological but nonetheless reminiscent of the tombs on Cranvius. Sigma points out a computer terminal in the wall, showing a new tunnel being bore towards the bottom of the catacombs. A huge set of doors close behind them before huge jets of air filter out the atmosphere around them. Ozai returns Ben to his human form, the air now breathable.

Sigma: "So you're the human Ben Tennyson?"

Ben: "I am. I thought you were all extinct."

Sigma: "We exist now to guard the tomb of the entity known as Forever Autumn. If Dead London reaches it, then there is no saving us. Alpha had themselves put inside your device in hopes of repopulating our species, at least that's what he told us."

Ben: "And he also told you I could help."

Sigma: "Dead London is already here. I don't think you can do anything. Prove me wrong."

The whispering returns to Ben's head.

"My name is Spirit of Man. The guardians cannot hear me, their minds are not adept at hearing. But humanity has always been listening. For twelve thousand years you've listened. And I have spoken oh so many times. I taught you farming, technology, civilisation. You cannot allow my counterpart to reach me, or today may be the last day your race has left."

Ben and Sigma rush through the long hallways, navigating the traps and twists with ease until they finally reach the final door. Ben asks Sigma to wait outside, telling them how Powerhouse was defeated by Dead London.

Ben enters alone, and in the centre of the room he sees a floating white spectre- a featureless head with a wide black mouth whose milky skin flows downwards into a fabric cloak draped over a body that wasn't there.

Spirit of Man: "Welcome, Ben Tennyson."

Ben: "What are you? Why should I help you?"

SoM: "I am half of an ancient weapon. I am the half of expulsion, I possess the ability to exert any energy I have absorbed. But without my other half, consumption, I have nothing to expel. The only energy available to me is that of my own being. I have diminished myself over millennia to build your race into something I hoped would atone for the destruction I have wrought in the past."

Ben: "The others called you Forever Autumn?"

SoM: "I changed my name, for reasons I've already made clear."

Ben: "You've yet to tell me why I should help you."

SoM: "My complete form is a relic of the Heaven Wars. Need you know more? You must destroy me before we are rejoined."

Ben agrees, and immediately assumes the form of Geothermite. As soon as he does, however, the roof collapses in. Dead London descends. Ben attempts to fight him off, and quickly finds that detonating rocks near the creature actually managed to harm it. But Dead London's tendrils sneak through the smoke and force themselves into Geothermite's chest. He suddenly begins to feel very cold. Ozai forcibly switches Ben into Hightide.

Ben rushes away from the threat and reaches his breaking point. The stress of everything- Sadie, the archaeologists he'd failed to save, the vague threats of his failure, and the knowledge that Azmuth's weak was almost over- had reached capacity. Ben demanded that Ozai stop. Everything. He berates Ozai's total lack of personality, of reason, and being unable to cooperate with him despite literally being able to read his thoughts. the AI is shocked, but complies.

Spirit of Man screams. Ben's anger had distracted him long enough for Dead London to claim his prize. His blood red tendrils tear into the phantom, and adorns its shreds around its own body. The pair glow briefly, before turning around to reveal their fused form. Dead London's body now appeared more solid, primarily white with patches of red where its body divides into tendrils once more. Its face now has a huge single eye and an array of white horns, with the same wide mouth that doesn't move as it speaks.

Hightide backs off for a moment. Suddenly MALtruant and Timekiller materialise in the room with them. They offer the new fusion an alliance.

Timekiller: "Ahahaha! MALtruant! You have outdone yourself with this! Oh! Such beauty I have never seen!"

MALtruant: "Welcome back into existence, weapon."

Fusion: "I am Brave New World. It feels good to be together again."

MALtruant: "I know the feeling."

Brave New World: "So tell me: Why dare you rebuild me?"

Timekiller: "We seek to wage a war across time and space."

MALtruant: "To rebuild the universe in a better image. In our image."

BNW: "You expect me to help you destroy trillions of lives?"

What little amusement, if it could be called that, there was in the creature's voice was now absent.

Timekiller: "Those trillions will never have existed, and their absence will allow the creation of many trillions more that would live far more fulfilling lives."

BNW: "Allow me to consider your proposal..."

A piercing blast of orange light shines from Brave New World's single eye, cutting MALtruant's arm off in an instant. Instantly regretting their decisions, the two change their tune.

MALtruant: "Your compliance is unnecessary. I know what you are and I know what you were built to do. Your existence is enough to further our goal."

Hightide: "What are you?"

BNW: "I am the end."

Hightide, hesitantly: "The end of what?"

BNW: "Of war."

Having heard the fighting, Sigma bursts into the room. They see Brave New World, and their first reaction is to attack. BNW's tentacles burst forth and tear into the dreadnought. Hightide attacks with a blast of water. It does next to nothing, but Brave New World drops Sigma anyway. The monster approaches Ben, who shifts into Boarswax and attempts to hold it back with a torrent of wax. It simply deflects wax with invisible barriers, shields, that is learned from Ben.

Unable to fight back, Ben is grabbed by his neck and tossed across the room with immense force. When he finally picks himself back up, Brave New World is long gone. He dashes over to the remains of the Sigma. Using Vertebrain, he carefully removes the twisted and warped metal plating around their head. Inside he saw nothing, just more and more metal.

Sigma: "We're fine, Ben, stop the weapon!"

The voice had come from the robot's chest.

Human once more, Ben runs to the surface like he has never run before. When he reaches the door he transforms into Fanfare. He smashes his bladed hand into the computer controlling the door and it slowly crawls open.

On the surface outside he senses Brave New World nearby. Standing in the barren desert, his head is tilted upwards to the sky. Several rows of short tendrils have grown out of the top half of his body, swaying gently in the wind. Ben realises with horror that he is basking in the warmth of the distant sun, charging himself in the sunlight.

Fanfare flies back to the Stardust. Theta waits outside for Ben's return. Ben tells him what has happened to Sigma and Spirit of Man, and they rush off to help their fallen friend. Fanfare enters the Stardust, and finds Sadie sitting in one of the seats in the control room. Ben returns to his human form, and the two share a hug. Ben had thought her dead and, for a while, she had been. Ben pulls out his phone, and asks Sadie if she can boost the signal. She reintegrates herself with the Stardust and does so, but notices movement on the radar. Brave New World had set course for Earth. The Stardust pursues him.

Ben sends a message to one of his old group chats.

BIG TROUBLE. FOLLOW STARDUST.

Ben chases Brave New World, with his Stardust hovering over a city Ben had been to once before- New York. Unable to land any closer to the ground, Ben brings up Fanfare's hologram and leaps from the open hind door of the ship. He slams the dial. Nothing. He plummets ground-ward, powerless.

A translucent pink barrier forms beneath him, falling with him towards the ground before slowly beginning to push against him and slowing him down until he'd reached a stop. The barrier fades and Ben drops the last few feet to the ground, stunned. He doesn't even hear the familiar roar of the engine of Kevin's car approaching. He hadn't noticed Gwen teleporting into the air next to him as he had fallen.

He picks himself up off of the ground. He looks around, glossing over his cousin once again despite her concern for him, until his vision locks onto Brave New World just a few buildings away. Ben tries to use his watch again. Nothing. Again. Nothing. The Omnitrix speaks up, but it is not Ozai's voice. Azmuth's week had come to a close. This was programmed into the device and Ben could not override it.

Kevin's car, now decorated in a sleek deep Anodite purple, screeches to a halt next to the two cousins. He exits his car and stands next to them. Ben turns around, still somewhat stunned, and explains to them what Dead London and Brave New World had done. Gwen shifts into her Anodite form and Kevin absorbs the dark metal of his car. They charge forwards, unaware of their futility.

Kevin reaches the enemy first. His arms shift into massive axes. He swings and embeds his left arm firmly into Brave New World.

Brave New World: "Your judgement is poor."

BNW grabs Kevin's arm and forcefully pulls it out of him, before both of his arms turn into a mass of tentacles that wrap around Kevin, hoist him into the air, and toss him through the glass window of a nearby shop.

Magenta discs smash like glass against the creature's face one after another. Brave New World covers his head with his arms, only for bright pink shackles to form around his wrists with chains binding his arms to the ground. The chains begin to pull downwards into the ground their were connected to, forcing his arms apart. Gwen readies and bowls a huge sharp disc of mana straight towards the monster's head. With a direct hit, it seems to both split its head in half and disappear into it.

For all of a moment, Gwen thought the fight was over already.

Brave New World's head fuses itself back together, as does the massive gash in his chest. The buckles vanish and the chains collapse onto the tarmac street.

Brave New World: "All I needed was a taste."

He holds his arms forwards, and two chains identical to Gwen's shoot forth. They wrap themselves around her and drag her in. Holding her aloft, he begins to drain her of her mana. Ben screams for him to stop. He charges towards Brave New World, slamming the dial of his Omnitrix in vain. When he finally reaches the monster he abandons any illusion of being able to use his watch and begins unloading punch after punch into it. Brave New World tosses Gwen aside, and Kevin rushes over to her aid.

Brave New World: "Do you really still think you can beat me? Why? What's the point? Why are you still fighting?"

Ben: "BECAUSE EVIL LIKE YOU NEEDS TO BE FOUGHT! BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST HURT PEOPLE AND BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT!"

Brave New World: "And you take it upon yourself to fight what you alone deem to be evil?"

Ben: "I fight because I can! Because I have the power and the strength to do so where others don't! And yeah! I fight what I deem to be evil! But you and your components have murdered people! Don't you dare try and convince me you aren't!"

The monster pauses, considering what Ben had said, when suddenly the Omnitrix springs back into life.

Ozai: "Reboot complete! Ben! We're back in action!"

Brave New World takes a few steps back. Ben looks down at the Omnitrix and quickly changes himself into MindMatter. He lifts the creature high into the air, and Brave New World lets him. Kevin carries the struggling Gwen out of the line of fire.

Brave New World: "In my haste I misjudged you, human. Perhaps you are justified in your fight."

MindMatter: "I don't give a damn what you think!"

MindMatter reaches behind himself, feeling for a nearby fire hydrant.

Brave New World: "I was created to end this war. I judge those who fight and why they fight, and I eradicate the unworthy. I even destroyed my own creators. Are we not the same?"

MindMatter: "This war? There is no war! Spirit knew that!"

Brave New World: "There is always a war."

MindMatter drops Brave New World, yanking the fire hydrant out of the ground, swinging it around, slamming it into the monster and sending him flying. Ben shifts into Hightide before turning around and running straight for the fountain of water now erupting from the ground. He jumps into the stream, turning it into a missile and crashing straight into Brave New World.

The monster staggers backwards as the unending torrent blasts against him. His eye begins to glow and crackle with a chaotic yellow energy before he fires it outwards as a powerful beam that cleaves the stream in half, boiling away anything that it comes into contact with and smashing through the building past it. The gushing water returns to simply shooting straight upwards at the spot of the missing hydrant.

The attack would've killed Ben, had he not already slipped past the creature and onto the tarmac behind him. He reforms from the puddle unnoticed and transforms into Hivemind, grabbing Brave New World from behind and holding him in place before breaking off his own arms and stepping away. The arms melt into a swarm of the insects that comprised Hivemind's body and they begin biting and stinging Brave New World.

Brave New World panics for a moment under the pain before glowing a bright white. The swarm begins to burn alive, so Hivemind calls them back. Distracted by Ben, the creature doesn't noticed the wide magenta disc hurtling towards him. It slices through his neck with ease, and his head topples to the ground. His body follows suit, collapsing over his disembodied cranium.

Ben reverts to his human form. Kevin, no longer made of the purple metal, helps his severely injured girlfriend hobble back to her cousin.

Kevin: "What the hell was that?"

Ben: "A very dangerous weapon. No wonder Timekiller and MALtruant wanted it."

Kevin: "Who and who?"

Ben: "The Chronosapiens."

Kevin: "The what?"

Gwen: "You've never mentioned them before."

They hear a rustling behind them, and turn to see that the body of Brave New World had degenerated into a writhing mass of tentacles. The mass slowly rises upwards, returning to a human-ish size before refining back into Brave New World's usual shape.

Brave New World: "You and I are the same. We're all heroes here. We fight for what's right. We fight today so that one day we won't have to. Let us work together, and rid the universe of evil! Let all things come to be judged! Let our might ensure peace for all!"

Ben: "You and I are nothing alike. You were broken apart for a reason! You want to claim you're the good guy but all you know is slaughter!"

Gwen, struggling: "It's indestructible, how are we going to stop it?"

Kevin reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Plumber badge. He observes a hologram that projects out of it- a radar, with thousands of blips nearby.

Kevin: "I don't think we're going to have to."

It was at this point that Ben became aware of a gentle humming he could hear, distinct from the traffic fleeing in all directions and getting louder. Suddenly a small army of Plumber vehicles round the block corner and entered the street- helicopters, tanks, and trucks full of Plumbers ready to fight. One of the helicopters lands next to the trio, and Rook emerges flanked on either side by a small battalion of troopers.

Rook: "Hello, Ben, sorry I am late. Organising the evacuation of civilians took longer than I had hoped."

Kevin: "I'd say you're just in time!"

The trucks open up and dozens of Plumbers pour out, forming a solid firing line with the Tanks lined up behind them- all aiming at the monster in the middle of the road.

Rook, pointing at Brave New World: "Is that the threat?"

Kevin: "Yep."

Ben: "Wait..."

Rook, shouting to his troops: "Ready!"
Gwen, weakly: "No, don't!"
Ben: "Wait stop!"
Rook: "Fire!"

A deafening hail of plasma bolts descend upon Brave New World. The skilled marksmen of the Plumbers hit every single shot, even as the smoke from their attacks obscure the creature in smoke. But Ben knew exactly what was happening inside that cloud. He shouted, stepped forwards, and hid his head with his arms in a single movement.

Ben: "Ozai, Barrier Reef!"

Ozai obeyed enthusiastically, and Ben shifted into the giant pink-rock alien in an instant. The monster leaps through the smoke at blinding speeds, screeching as it does, and slams into Barrier Reef's shield with an earth-shaking thud. The creature hovers above the ground, its sharp claws embedded into the shield and its bloodshot eye staring straight through Barrier Reef's eyes and its his soul. The Plumbers hold their fire.

Barrier Reef drops the shield for a moment, knowing that the monster didn't have the momentum now to strike him in this moment of vulnerability, and SLAMS his left fist straight into Brave New World's face. He's thrown back into the ground. Ben charges forwards and stomps down hard on the creature's head only to now find it impossibly tough. Brave New World fires a pulse of energy out of his eyes and into Barrier Reef's leg, causing the alien to stumble over backwards.

Brave New World floats upwards to his feet as though without effort. His body splits into a dozen long, blood red tentacles. Gwen, using the last of her energy, pulls Ben out of the way with her mana as the monster's tentacles slam through the street, cracking it apart easily. She collapses into Kevin's arms. Ben switches into Triedge as he climbs back to his feet.

Triedge: "I'm sorry, but you've left me no choice."

Brave New World: "You're so weak! You don't scare me! You're so... so..."

The monster struggles to hold himself aloft.

Triedge: "All the energy you've stolen. It is yours no more. At least I can return some of it to where you took it from."

Ben looks over to Gwen, and holds out one of his hands towards her. Her eyes struggle open. Her strength was returning. Brave New World stumbles towards Ben.

Brave New World: "You haven't won! I cannot be defeated!"

He prepares to strike Ben, before dissolving into dust. Ben had absorbed all of its immense life force. Triedge exhales, returning the stolen energy into the universe around him. He returns, for the last time, to his human form.

Ben: "Gwen, are you alright?"

She raises a thumb weakly. Ben looks down at the T2 Omnitrix.

Ben: "Ozai. You disobeyed Azmuth? Why?"

Ozai: "You were right, I didn't have a personality. So I decided who I wanted to be, and I wanted to be a hero like you! I wanted to be someone dependable and helpful! And sure, you were mean to me, but I don't care. I didn't really disobey Azmuth either. I simply told him that I thought you were worthy!"

Ben: ""W-wow. Thank you!"

Kevin carries Gwen over to Ben, and Rook follows.

Ben: "Thanks for the help guys! I can't stay on Earth for long, there's a hell of a mess going on out there. How about we catch up over a smoothie?"

Noteworthy Events

• Ben and the Powerhouse Pilots meet the last surviving Faratin
  • Powerhouse's original name is revealed to have been Faratin Colony Alpha prior to them being placed into the Omnitrix
• Dead London fuses with Spirit Of Man, re-awakening the ancient Brave New World

Minor Events

• Sadie is nearly killed, but is repaired by Colony Theta
• Ozai reboots, gaining a new personality

Characters

• Ben Tennyson
• Ozai
• Powerhouse Pilots
• Faratin Colony Sigma
• Faratin Colony Theta
• Spirit of Man
• Sadie
• Gwen Tennyson
• Kevin Levin
• Rook Blonko

Villains

• Dead London
• Brave New World
• MALtruant
• Timekiller

Aliens Used

By Ben Tennyson

• Powerhouse (x2, first time intended alien was Frankenstrike)
• Geothermite
• Hightide (x2)
• Boarswax
• Vertebrain
• Fanfare
• MindMatter
• Hivemind
• Barrier Reef
• Triedge

Trivia

• Kevin's new car is identical to his car from Alien Force, bar a new colour scheme. It was rebuilt using the money made from chipping off parts of his Taydenite car, which he also still has.
• This is the first episode of Ben 10: Road Trip to feature all 10 of the Playlist 1 aliens.