Ben 10: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Emma sat hunched over a stack of textbooks. This had become her routine for the past few weeks: poring over practice exams, brushing up on math and reading comprehension, and tackling essay prompts. She was preparing for her GED before she could even think about applying to Empire State University.

Ben walked into the room, his phone and a bottle of water in the other. He raised a brow at the sight of her buried in books. "Still going at it, huh?"

Emma glanced up from her notebook. "Yeah... I've been stuck on this section for an hour now. Math was never my strong suit."

He set the bottle down on the table beside her and sat on the couch. "I hear you. School was rough for me, too."

She set her pencil down. "It doesn't feel like it sometimes. I just want to pass this stupid test and get on with the application."

Ben chuckled. "Trust me, you're making progress. The GED's just the first step."

Emma stretched her arms. "You sound so sure about that."

"Because I've seen it happen before." Ben gave her a reassuring smile. "It's not easy, but you've already proven you've got the determination. Now it's just a matter of keeping at it."

Emma studied him for a moment. Despite everything, Ben had been nothing but supportive. "I just... I don't want to mess this up... This chance, I mean. It feels like my only shot at something better."

Ben nodded. "I get that. But you're not going to mess it up. You've already gotten this far, right?" Ben glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, you've been at it for hours. Maybe it's time for a break? You could use some fresh air, maybe clear your head before diving back into it."

She considered it for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, maybe you're right. A break sounds good."

As she stood up, Ben grabbed his jacket. "Come on, I'll walk with you. We can grab some coffee or something."

Emma smiled and grabbed her coat. "Okay. Just as long as we don't talk about school."

Ben chuckled as they stepped out. "Deal. Just coffee."

A Week Later

A Week Later

Emma paced back and forth across the living room, her hands clutching the unopened letter from Empire State University like it was a bomb about to go off. Her breath was shallow, and her mind raced with good and bad possibilities. She glanced at the envelope for the hundredth time, but she couldn't bring herself to tear it open.

Ben sat on the couch. "You know, the letter isn't going to open itself."

Emma shot him a nervous look. "What if it's a rejection? I've put so much into this, and if it's a 'no,' I don't know what I'll do."

Ben's expression softened. "Emma, you've worked your butt off for this. There's no reason to think it's bad news. You've been studying nonstop, aced the GED, and you've got the high school grades. You've earned this."

Emma stopped pacing and turned to face him. "But what if I'm not good enough? What if... I don't belong there?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Come on. You didn't do all this just to doubt yourself now. You belong there, Emma. This is just the part where you have to believe it."

She stared at the letter. It was hard to shake the nagging voice in her head.

Ben stood up from the couch, walked over to her, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, no matter what's in that envelope, it's not the end of the world. If it's a yes, you will start an amazing new chapter in your life. And if it's not... we figure it out. We'll find another way. You've got options."

Emma looked up at him. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay... okay." She slowly tore open the envelope. Her eyes scanned the words as her heart pounded in her chest. For a moment, she said nothing.

Ben waited.

Then, a small smile crept onto her face as she looked up at him. "I got in."

Ben broke into a grin, too. "I told you."

Emma laughed. Relief washed over her. She clutched the letter to her chest. "I can't believe it. I actually got in."

Ben clapped her on the shoulder. "Congrats, Emma. You earned it."

She laughed again, this time more freely. "Thank you." She pulled him into a hug. "For everything."

Ben waved her thanks off with a smile. "It was all you in the end."

Emma's nerves finally settled.

New York, Times Square

Ben stood outside Emma's door, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. A bunch of luggage sat at his feet. He checked his phone out of habit while waiting for her to finish inside.

A few days ago, they had gone shopping for all the college dorm essentials. It had been a busy day, but Emma seemed more excited than nervous, which was a good sign.

As Ben wondered if she needed help, the door clicked open. He turned his head—and immediately froze.

Emma stepped out, grinning widely, and her new look surprised him. Her dark hair was now bright blonde. She adjusted a new pair of stylish glasses on her nose, and her freshly painted pink nails matched her trendy outfit. She wore a denim jacket over a fitted blouse, gray jeans, and black heels.

For a second, Ben just stared, completely surprised.

Emma noticed, her grin widening as she teased, "You like?"

Ben coughed awkwardly into his fist, trying to regain his composure. "You definitely look... confident."

"Yup!" Emma twirled around, enjoying his reaction. "New school year, new me."

Ben smirked. "Well, it suits you."

Emma adjusted her bag strap. "Thanks. I figured, if I'm going to do this, I might as well look good doing it, right?"

Ben nodded. "You're owning it, that's for sure."

Emma's grin softened. "Thanks, Ben. It... feels nice to be free like this. My parents would have hated this."

Ben smiled warmly. "Glad to hear it. Now, ready to haul these over to campus?"

Emma rolled her eyes but kept her grin. "Let's do it."

Ben and Emma each grabbed a piece of large luggage and made their way toward the elevator.

Empire State University

Exiting the cab, Ben and Emma arrived on campus with all her stuff and started heading toward the dorms. The campus was bustling with students, everyone moving in for the start of a new semester. Emma looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the excitement and energy all around her. It felt surreal—she had worked so hard to get here, and now it was finally happening.

"Thanks again for helping with the move." Emma glanced at Ben.

Ben shook his head with a smile. "Nah, it's fine. You have enough on your plate without worrying about throwing your back out on the first day."

Emma half-smiled, her eyes scanning the campus, taking it all in. The whole thing felt surreal. After all the studying, the tests, and the stress of waiting for that acceptance letter, she was finally here.

Ben nudged her with his elbow. "You okay?"

"It feels like it was just yesterday I was trying to find another retail job." Emma let out a small breath. "I don't even know what I'm more nervous about," Emma admitted. "Meeting new people? Keeping up with classes? Or trying to live in a dorm with a total stranger."

"You'll be fine."

Emma considered how much she had relied on Ben over the past few weeks. The steady white noise she sensed in his mind had been a comfort, keeping her grounded. As they approached the dorms, she realized that being alone meant adjusting and finding her way without Ben constantly by her side. The thought scared her, but this was her chance to grow and prove she could live independently.

They finally reached the courtyard near the dormitory, and Ben set down the luggage, wiping his forehead. "We're almost there."

Emma nodded, her gaze drifting around the courtyard. Students were everywhere—some chatting in groups, others sitting on benches, absorbed in their books or phones. She knew she needed to take a step and let herself experience everything without the crutch of Ben's presence in her mind.

She took a deep breath, focusing inward, and slowly allowed herself to disconnect from the comforting white noise that Ben provided. Immediately, she felt a flood of thoughts and emotions hit her: anxiety, excitement, curiosity, lust... It was overwhelming initially, but she took another deep breath, letting it wash over her. 'Don't tune into the thoughts.'

Ben noticed her expression. "You okay?"

Emma looked at him and smiled. "Yeah... just getting my thoughts in order."

#

Ben and Emma entered the dorm and down the hallway. The building buzzed with students moving in.

Emma checked her room number and led them to the third floor. "You know, I was kind of hoping my roommate wouldn't show up for at least another hour so I could settle in," she said.

Ben laughed. "Hey, you never know. She might turn out to be cool."

"Yeah, maybe," Emma said with a shrug.

When they finally reached the designated room, they noticed a brunette in a pink sweater standing at the doorway, apparently trying to push out two people—unmistakably her parents.

"Your father and I think this room should be asbestos-proofed, chipmunk!" her mom insisted, looking around with a worried expression.

"Mom! Dad! Will you go to the airport already?!" the girl snapped, her face scrunched in frustration. "You're driving me—"

The father turned and noticed Ben and Emma standing behind them. He raised an eyebrow. "And who's this?"

The girl threw her hands up. "How should I know? I just got here, Dad! Now, will you two please leave?!"

Emma stepped forward with a polite smile, holding out her hand to him. "I'm Emma. I think I'm your daughter's roommate."

Ben put down one of the luggages to free up a hand and did the same. "Ben. Emma's friend, just helping her settle in."

The father shook both their hands with a wide smile. "Jack McDermott. And this is my wife, Jill. Just like the nursery rhyme. It's a panic, ain't it?"

Ben and Emma shared a quick look, both forcing polite smiles. "We suppose," Ben replied.

Jack turned back to Emma, his tone shifting to something more inquisitive. "So, you're going to be sharing living quarters with our little chipmunk, hmm?"

Emma and Ben blinked at the nickname. "Chip...?" Emma started, confused.

The daughter had clearly reached her limit. "Enough!" she shouted before grabbing Emma by the arm and pulling her into the room. She also allowed Ben to enter before slamming the door behind them with a heavy thud.

Once the door was closed, the girl took a deep breath, her frustration visibly melting away. She then extended her hand toward Emma, finally offering a proper introduction. "Christie McDermott."

Emma shook her hand, smiling warmly. "Emma Frost." She set her suitcases down at the foot of the bed, looking around the room.

Ben, still holding a box, gave a small nod. "Ben Tennyson."

Christie raised an eyebrow at Ben, her lips curving into a smirk. Then she turned back to Emma, giving her an appraising look. "So, we're roomies. Tell me, do you like scented candles?" she asked, her tone lighter now as if already trying to bond.

Emma blinked at the sudden change of topic but then smiled. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Christie clapped her hands together. "Great! Because I have a few, and I figured we'd set the vibe, you know?" She motioned around the small, undecorated room. "We've got a lot of work to make this place livable."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, I'm definitely on board with that."

Ben cleared his throat. "Alright, where should I put all this?"

Christie waved a hand toward an empty corner. "Over there is fine, thanks. Wow, Emma, nice of your boyfriend to come along, huh?" she teased.

Emma and Ben show a light blush before looking away from each other.

Ben rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle. "We're actually not like that..."

Emma scratched her cheek. "But we are good friends."

Christie giggled mischievously. "Right..." They dropped the subject. Christie gave him a mock salute. "I'm sure she appreciates the assist, hero."

Later

After spending about a half hour unpacking, it was time for him to leave.

Emma turned to Ben. "Thanks for helping me move in."

Ben flashed a warm smile. "Anytime. You two have fun getting settled." He pointed at Christie. "And take care of my friend, alright?"

Christie put a hand over her heart, giving a dramatic nod. "Cross my heart."

Emma walked up to him. This was it. This was what she was aiming for. She couldn't help but miss Ben. As far as she knew, he was one of the few people who didn't discriminate after learning about her powers. She wouldn't admit it, but it helped that he was kinda cute.

"Well, I guess this is it," Ben started.

Emma nodded, her smile faltering slightly. "Yeah... I guess so." She looked down at her hands, fidgeting slightly. "It's going to feel... different without you here."

He chuckled. "We'll still be in the same city, Emma."

"I know," Emma interrupted. "You're just a call away... I want to say thank you, Ben. For everything. I don't know how I'd have managed all this without you." Her imagination went to something like using her illusions and mind reading to cheat people out of money on the street.

Ben shook his head. "Don't think about the what-ifs. Think about what you're going to do moving forward." He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I'm proud of you," he said quietly.

Emma hugged him back tightly, closing her eyes. "Thank you. I don't think I could ever repay you for everything you've done."

Ben pulled back slightly, looking at her with a reassuring smile. "You don't owe me anything, Emma. Just go be amazing, okay? If anything, pay it forward to someone else who needs a pick me up."

Emma nodded, her smile growing as she quickly wiped her eyes. "I'll do my best," she said.

Just as Ben was about to leave, he took out a small envelope from his jacket and handed it to her. "Here. It's not much, but it'll help if you need anything while settling in."

Emma blinked, surprised. "You've already done so much, Ben. I... I can't keep taking from you like this."

"Hey, I'm just ensuring you have what you need. It's not a handout. Think of it as an investment in your future. You still have to buy your textbooks, no?"

"Oh, right..." Emma's lips curved into a small, grateful smile. She nodded, sliding the envelope into her bag. "Thanks. Really. You're kind of a real catch." Emma kissed the hero on the cheek before nudging him out the door.

Meanwhile, Christie stood there with a shit-eating grin. "I fucking knew it..."

#

Over the next week, Emma's college life seemed to go as expected. She quickly earned a reputation as the "smart" one in her classes, always having the right answers. Even the professors wanted someone besides her to answer.

It wasn't long before a basketball player started trying to woo her, showing up after class and trying to impress her. Emma found it flattering on some level, but she focused more on her studies after everything she went through. Granted, the guy's initial plan to bump into her while she was carrying a bunch of papers to ask her out didn't help.

What surprised her more was seeing her old high school teacher and first love, Ian Kendall, on campus. He was tutoring Christie, who seemed to be crushing on him hard. That brought up... complicated feelings...

One afternoon, Emma was walking back from class when she came across a protest against mutants. A group of people had gathered near one of the campus buildings, holding signs that read things like "Mutants Are Dangerous" and "Keep Our Schools Safe." Emma felt her stomach twist as she watched them chant. Was she one of these mutants? It would explain her powers.

Emotions started to build as she mindread the anti-mutant sentiment from students and professors. Christie started lying about dating Ian. A house party turned violent because a rival sports team accused them of having mutants. This all culminated with her first meeting with another mutant telepath: Astrid Bloom.

Perhaps she should finally give Ben a call.

#

A/N: Special thanks to Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, and Seana!

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