Fusion and Iron

4. Back to the Past

The sunlight pierced Niles' weary eyes, blinding him temporarily as the helmet slid off stiffly. He groaned, feeling the burning sensation over his eyelids like a sword cutting through his thoughts. Slowly, the world around him took shape and came back to him. The feeling of solid ground underneath him somehow felt more comfortable than any bed he could've slept in. His head spun, thoughts rebooting like an old computer as if the last few seconds he had experienced were memories. Slowly, the image of him in the time capsule began to slip away, feeling like it had happened years ago (no pun intended).

With a trail of saliva dripping into the dirt, his breath beat against the grass. His chest rose and fell as if he had recovered from a brutal gut punch, making him lay down on the verge of puking right then and there. Around him, quiet and soothing sounds of nature broke through his horrible feeling. The birds chirped softly, the tree branches rustled softly, and a cool breeze eased his sweat-soaked skin.
Inside the suit, he was burning up, any kind of air conditioning having been suddenly rebooted. He was drenched in his sweat as if he'd been locked inside an oven, begging for release. It didn't help the fact that every inch of his body ached either, like suffering from a terrible flu.

The man raised a trembling hand, pressing down against the chest plate. The suit's torso, arms, and legs hissed open, and cool air came flooding in from all over. He sighed, letting out a moan in relief as he reached up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Everything just felt numb, his arms falling limp and his body unwilling to respond to anything just yet. His brain pulsed from the pain, feeling like one big terrible migraine.

In the distance, the sky wavered with loud, distant explosions. It was unmistakable for Niles, as he knew a battle was raging nearby.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he pushed himself up off the ground. He gritted his teeth, rising to his feet, and climbed out from the suit below. He placed a hand on his hip, raising another to shield some of the sunlight. The sky above was a flawless blue, painted with white clouds, though something much sinister hung above him.

High in the sky, the disgusting amalgamation of Planet Fusion dominated the air. It had a sick green aura surrounding the cluster of planets, fused together like a disfigured accident. Smaller moons and debris were slowly being eaten alive by its slimy surface, creating its own gravitational pull. Jagged remains of a broken planet ring were hooked onto the planet like a nose ring.

The distant planet was smaller now, its green aura even fainter, but it was still there. A constant, looming threat–the sole reason earth was suffering.

It worked.

A smile formed on his face as he limply raised a hand in the air. He began laughing out loud, skipping in joy as he screamed, "Yes! Aha! Hahaha! Dexter, you mad genius!"

Niles' tears shifted, morphing into something much deeper. He began to softly cry, mixed between intense tears of joy and disbelief. His fingers covered over his face as he sank to his knees, catching his breath in his throat. He began to maniacally laugh, feeling his heart rattle in his chest. Both excitement and anxiety took over him, mixed with relief in there also. It was a feeling he just couldn't name, all too much to take in all at once. Everyone he lost, everything he had missed now was back in a twisted reality.

Science bordering on fantasy and madness was impossible, yet it was disproven. For just a brief, bittersweet moment, he didn't care if they remembered him or not. Everyone was back. It felt like a second chance, a chance to fix the mistakes of his past, to correct the failures that haunted him. The overwhelming rush of that realization sent another wave of laughter through him, gripping onto this new reality.

From the corner of his ear, a faint digital zap snapped him out of him. Niles flinched, jerking his head around. A miniature, blue light hologram flickered into view. A figure took form, resembling a mixture of starry black, pure crystal white, and bright lime green. It was unmistakable, the tiny outline of Ben 10's alien: Alien X. Its three distinct horns glistened, symbolic of the trifold nature of the original being. Its bright white eyes watched Niles with curiosity, tilting his head to the side as he hovered over him.