Striking Twice

Ben 10: Delta Days
Season 3, Episode 1
Air Date	22/10/2020 (UK)
Written by	Aaron
Director	Aaron
General Information
Planet(s)	Fulmas Earth
Time Frame	mid-Season 3
Episode Guide
Previous Enhanced Ben	Next Crazy Frog

Striking Twice was the third episode of Ben 10: Delta Days to be written. It aired on the 22nd of October 2020.

A new influence breaks out among the Fulmini, and High Override is forced out of leadership! With nowhere else to go, he returns to invade a planet he once visited not long ago...

Plot

Orange lightning blasts the dark grey ground apart, and the High Override narrowly avoids the attack as he runs. He vaults over a boulder and skids down the valley on the other side. He hits the gravel at the bottom and continues sprinting. A bright blue portal opens in front of him and he slips through before even realising it was there. For a brief moment he tumbles uncontrollably through the vacuum of space, before a second portal sends him hurtling towards the ground above a forest of dark evergreen trees.

Back in the wasteland of ashy gravel, a horde of orange Fulmini reach the rim of the valley. Looking down, they see the portal close with a dark blue metal Chronosapien behind it. The leader of the crowd shouts down to him.

Fulmini Leader: "Alien! You are trespassing upon the world of Fulmas and in the presence of the Supreme Controller!"

Timekiller: "Am I really your greatest concern right now? You look like a mob, are you not hunting something right now?"

The leader falls silent for a moment.

Supreme Controller: "Where has the former High Override gone! He came down this valley! Surely, you must have seen him!"

Timekiller: "Tall? Purple? Fast on his feet? Yes, as a matter of fact I believe I did. He escaped, through a portal. Your kind does that a lot, doesn't it? Conquest among the stars? Victory Unending? Admirable. Very admirable. Say, you've never met a Chronosapien before have you?"

Supreme Controller: "You're trying my patience metal man!"

Timekiller: "Yes, well, we also have the ability to travel through portals. Space and time. They're quite the same thing, you see. Anyway I offer a proposal; I am looking to fulfil a small collection of mine, and for it I require some Fulmini genetic material. Provide that for me, and I can quite easily track down the High Override for you and return them here to face your judgement."

Supreme Controller: "...Very well."

He gestures to the Fulmini to his left.

Timekiller: "Ah, I'm afraid not. See I require a truly superior genetic sample. Truth be told, I had come here for the High Override. But when I saw him running for his life, I knew I had to meet the one that put the fear of god into him! I assure you the process is fast and painless. Supreme Controller, if I may?"

He holds out his left hand towards the towering Fulmini at the top of the valley, his dark cloak falls away from his metal claw.

Supreme Controller: " 'Fast and painless' does not mean 'safe'. It definitely does not mean that I would survive. We have all heard the stories of Vilgax the Conqueror."

Timekiller: "Forgive me, but I haven't? What part of a genetic scan sounds dangerous to you?"

Supreme Controller: "Wielding the Omnitrix, Vilgax laid siege to a dozen worlds- many of which were ours- before he was stopped. His genetic imprint was stored within the very device that empowered him. He was left immensely weakened, a shadow of his former self."

Timekiller: "What kind of barbaric device saps someone's strength to record their genetic structure? Supreme Controller, I merely wish to image your superior gene sequence."

Supreme Controller: "And this is a promise?"

Timekiller: "You have my utmost assurance. And I do not fancy my chances against your followers should I be wrong."

The bright orange Fulmini approaches the Chronosapien.

Supreme Controller: "Very well, do as you will, but return the High Override in exchange."

The Controller holds out his left hand, and Timekiller takes it in his scrap claw. The pincers of the claw fold back and a small needle extends from the wrist. It penetrates the energy making up the Fulmini's hand before extracting some of it into a small vial attached to Timekiller's forearm.

Timekiller: "I do look forward to seeing you again."

On Earth, in the middle of government-protected nowhere, two streaks of incomparable speed race through the dense woods. For the briefest of moments, the leader of the pack lands and pauses on one of the trees.

XLR8, panting: "See! I told you I was faster!"

The other streak zooms past him, leaving the blue and black Kineceleran in the dust.

XLR8: "Hey! No winning while I'm showboating!"

Half a kilometre away, Grandpa Max casually emerges from the Rust Bucket holding a silver tray with four glasses of crisp and cold lemonade resting upon it. He slowly places the tray down on a camping bench in the middle of a small opening. Gwen, sat on a deck chair beside the table, takes one of the glasses for herself- never once taking her eyes away from her book. Max takes one of the drinks for himself, before shouting into the woods.

Max: "Kids! Drink time! You don't want to get dehydrated!"

The dark green alien Rush is the first to answer the call. He looks down at the tray, then up at Max and over at Gwen, and sees that there are still two Lemonades spare. He looks up at Max, and points at himself inquisitively.

Max: "I made one spare for you, sport! Go head, just don't give yourself hiccups."

Rush nods in appreciation, grabs a glass, downs it in one go, hiccups, and runs off back into the forest. Not long after he disappears, XLR8 takes his place.

XLR8: "What'd I miss?"

Max: "Drinks!"

The calm mood is cut instantly by the distant sound of an explosion. It grabs everyone's attention with a stunned silence. The Omnitrix flashes Ben back to his human form.

Gwen: "Was that...?"

Ben: "Kevin! He must've been mad that he was losing our race!"

Max: "Seemed like he was winning to me. No matter, into the Rust Bucket. Now!"

They rush inside. The massive vehicles tires screech as it roars into life and plows into the forest in the direction of the now rising pillar of smoke.

The Rust Bucket pulls up next to a blazing crater, with Kevin stood at the rim. Ben is the first out the door.

Ben: "Kevin!"

Kevin: "Hey man, You gotta believe this wasn't me!"

Ben admires the fire for a second.

Gwen: "Yeah that explosion looks way bigger up close than anything Kevin could do."

Kevin: "Now wait I could totally make an explosion that big! Watch!"

Kevin reaches for his Antitrix.

Max, warning him: "No! The last thing we need is more fire."

Kevin: "Alright fine, but I still want to see what made that big boom."

Kevin taps the dial of his Antitrix, the glowing spikes shifting out of his way as he does. He emerges from the red glow as a green-rocked Pyronite, Hot Shot. He carefully descends the edge of the crater and vanishes into the fire. Ben instead opts for Slapback. He hesitates at the top of the pit, when suddenly Hot Shot flies backwards past him and slams into a nearby tree with a loud thwack. Undeterred and, if anything, inspired by what he had just seen, Ben charges headlong into the obscuring fire.

Gwen, shouting: "Ben don't!"

But he doesn't listen, and is shortly flung out of the crater. His back slams into a tall evergreen and he immediately splits into two smaller versions of himself.

Slapbacks: "Ha ha! Yeah!"

Max: "Sometimes, Gwen, I really don't know why you bother."

Hot Shot groans in pain as he pulls himself to his feet.

Hot Shot: "Alright... Who's the angry purple Shock Rock?"

Slapbacks: "Wait the who?"

The smoke and the flames part, as the unmistakable giant that is the High Override steps through. Gwen finds herself swept off her feet as Max rushes her back into the safety of the Rust Bucket. Once again, the wheels tear through the mud as Max speeds away. High Override casually launches a few purple blasts of energy in its direction, but they miss and the RV escapes.

Slapback 1: "Hey! Large 'n Lavender! Leave my family alone!"

Slapback 2: "Yeah! It's us you want to fight."

The High Override looks down upon the small green aliens with silent contempt.

Hot Shot: "You gonna fill me in or not?"

Slapback 2: "Evil Shock Rock. Bad news!"

Slapback 1: "He tried to use my watch to conquer the Earth!"

Slapback 2: "But luckily we stopped him!"

High Override: "And for your challenge to my eternal power, I shall take your life! Remind me of your name, you petty insect!"

Slapbacks: "I'm Ben Tennyson! I beat you once and I'll do it again!"

Hot Shot: "And this time I'm here too!"

Slapback 1: "You're gonna help?"
Slapback 2: "Really?"

Hot Shot: "Can't let you take all the glory! Besides, I kinda live on this planet too. Common enemies, y'know?"

Slapbacks: "Epic!"

Hot Shot and the Slapbacks charge straight for High Override. He kicks both of the Slapbacks away with a single sweep of his right leg. They, predictably, land on their backs and once again divide into a new pair of smaller Slapbacks.

Kevin blasts the ground with heat, launching himself to the High Override's head height. He prepares another volley of flame but is grabbed out of the air by his target. He attacks anyway, unleashing a steady stream of fire unto the Fulmini. Predictably, given that he had survived the fall from space and the heat of the crater, High Override is unfazed by the attack.

High Override: "I see you bear the mark of a changeling too?"

Hot Shot: "You'll bear the mark of my fists in a minute!"

High Override: "Your anger will make a potent first addition to my new network."

The monster points his other hand to the Antitrix dial. Blazing lightning scorches from the tip of his index finger and into the device and Kevin screams in agony before a red flash switches him into his wolven Bashmouth form.

High Override: "How disappointing. You lack the blessing of a Fulmas body."

Kevin shares in this disappointment by biting down HARD with a set of steel teeth into the High Override's hand. The pain is enough to cause the Fulmini to release his grip and drop Bashmouth, who is caught by the four Slapbacks waiting for him on the ground. The toss him to the side near enough as soon as they catch him.

The High Override reaches down and places his outspread hands onto the ground. The Slapbacks go to grapple them, only for them to clamp together when they do. His hands part again, to reveal the four Slapbacks merged back into one. He groans in pain.

High Override: "Alas, I can still make do with a weapon like you."

His hands crackle with energy as he prepares to interfere with Ben's Omnitrix, but before he does he finds himself suddenly struggling to hold his balance. He stands back up but now loses himself altogether and falls backwards. The High Override picks himself up enough to find the cause, thick vines had ensnared his feet. Preparing to blast them away he notices another rapidly growing vine that suddenly wraps itself around his neck and pulls down, trapping him beneath. Thornblade emerges from the ground besides the fallen Fulmini's head.

Thornblade: "And that's game! I win!"

The High Override reaches for the vines around his neck, pulling in vain to remove them. Ben, returned to his human form, runs up to Thornblade's side.

Ben: "Hey, no fair! I didn't even get a good hit in!"

Thornblade: "You've got to be fast in this game, Ben."

He gestures magnificently towards the downed foe.

Thornblade: "And besides, if you want to hit him so badly, he's not going anywhere!"

High Override: "Got you!"

He reaches out with his right hand, pointing his finger towards the Omnitrix. A sharp purple bolt strikes the device, and its faceplate flickers wildly. The green hourglass turns a sickly violet as Ben is forcibly transformed into Shock Rock. His tough mineral armour retains its green colouration, but his energy glitches between purple and blue as Ben's mind fights for control.

Thornblade: "Ben?"

A strange sensation falls over Thornblade, and he turns to see the vines that had held the High Override in place now turned to a fine grey dust. An unfamiliar voice addresses him from behind, he turns once again and sees a blue robot with a large rectangular key jutting out of its head.

Timekiller: "Ah, Kevin Levin Delta. There was a time when I had considered you for my army. A shame your mind is so weak."

Thornblade: "Hey! I'll show you a weak mind!"

Thornblade charges, transforming his hands into huge whips that he slams into the ground to fling himself upwards, preparing to attack with the two thorny vines growing from his back. But as he reaches his target, Timekiller vanishes. Thornblade strikes the ground, blowing up a cloud of dust.

Timekiller: "...Not to mention quick to anger."

Thornblade turns on his feet to see Timekiller now stood behind him, the key in his head spinning gently. He swings the vines on his back around before throwing them at the Chronosapien. But the attack never lands as Timekiller once again vanishes.

But that is what Kevin sees. From Timekiller's perspective, the world around him slows to a halt. High Override, chosen by Timekiller to share this moment of frozen time, looks around in amazement.

High Override: "What is this trickery?!"

Timekiller: "Yet another unfamiliar with the abilities of a Chronosapien? Did you not wonder how you had arrived on this world?"

Timekiller moves away from the path of Kevin's attack.

High Override: "I am not one to question the gifts of fate."

Timekiller: "Aha! Good! Very very good! I like your ethic! In that case I come to offer you a second gift of fate."

High Override: "And why should I trust you, trickster?"

Timekiller: "Because you already accepted my first gift."

High Override: "...What do you propose?"

Timekiller: "I seek to wage a war on a scale unimaginable. And for that, I need armies. And for my armies, I require generals."

High Override: "You seek to make me your servant?"

Timekiller: "Only for one battle. A decisive strike at the heart of our opposition. Once you have helped me conquer the planet of Primus, You will be free to conquer the rest of the universe as you see fit."

High Override: "And how do you plan to acquire your armies? If you saved me from Fulmas, then you would surely be aware that I have lost mine?"

Timekiller: "It's rather complicated, but I assure you I have considered that. All is accounted for."

High Override: "Very well. I accept your terms. Shall I take my first warrior with us?"

He gestures to the controlled Shock Rock. Timekiller contemplates the option for a moment.

Timekiller: "...No. Under your control he is no more useful than a regular Fulmini but is far more dangerous to us. Under my control he would either be too rebellious or, if I took his mind away, he would be too braindead to use the very device that makes him so exceptional. Release him. I can deal with him at my leisure, though I do not believe he will be much trouble to me trapped in this dimension."

High Override: "A wise assessment."

Leaves rustle as the flow of time is restored. Kevin's vines swipe through thin air.

High Override: "Have your mind back you rebellious degenerate. You should be so blessed to share the form of the Fulmini."

Shock Rock's flickering halts as his blue complexion becomes permanent.

Shock Rock: "So it'll be a fair fight then?"

Timekiller: "I'm afraid there will be no fight, Tennyson."

Shock Rock: "Timekiller?!"

Thornblade: "Oh great, another big villain I've never heard of!"

Timekiller: "We're leaving now."

Shock Rock: "What?! You can't leave! We were in the middle of kicking High Override's butt for the second time!"

The Timewalker turns away from the two changelings and opens a large blue portal in front of himself. The High Override passes through it.

Timekiller: "Oh please. You should be used to short fights and abrupt endings by now."

Noteworthy Events

• The Supreme Controller has overtaken High Override as the leader of the Fulmini.
• Timekiller acquires the genetic sample for Electrockutioner.
• High Override becomes a Time Breaker.

Characters

• Ben Tennyson
• Gwen Tennyson
• Max Tennyson
• Fulmini
  • Supreme Controller (debut)

Villains

• High Override
• Timekiller

Neutral

• Kevin Levin (first appearance in Earth-1010)

Aliens Used

By Ben

• XLR8
• Slapback (first appearance in Earth-1010)
• Shock Rock

By Kevin

• Rush (first appearance in Earth-1010)
• Hot Shot (first appearance in Earth-1010)
• Bashmouth (cameo, first appearance in Earth-1010)
• Thornblade (first appearance in Earth-1010)

Trivia

• This episode's title is a reference to the idiom "Lightning never strikes twice".
• Yes, that last line was a dig at the reboot.