Intro:

Ben POV:

I was sucked into the portal and hurled downwards, crashing through the air. Frantically, I flailed my arms in fear as I continued to fall. The swirling vortex around me deepened into a crimson hue until something opened up, and I fell through it. I glanced up to see the portal slowly closing, taking my chance of returning to my world with it.

I turned back just in time to see the ground rushing up to meet me. Panicking, I covered my face with my hands, closed my eyes, and braced for impact.

Time Skip:

I woke up, rubbing my head in pain and feeling the warm trickle of blood. I didn’t panic, despite the throbbing ache, and instead took in my surroundings. The red sky with a strange pentagram left me disoriented. As I looked around, my eyes fell upon a massive clock. It wasn’t Big Ben, so I knew I wasn’t in London. Suddenly, my attention was drawn to a billboard with "Welcome to Hell" written in bold letters. Beyond it, the post-apocalyptic wasteland resembled a city I had never seen before. Slowly, I got to my feet, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

As I made my way towards what I hoped was civilization, my mind kept circling back to that billboard. Am I dead? The thought sent a chill down my spine. I glanced at myself, then at the Omnitrix. I still looked the same, but how was that possible here?

A burst of anger surged up within me as I thought about my fight with Vilgax and the portal again, as I gripped my fist and lifted my head up and shouted.

Ben: "Vilgax, what did you do?"

Upon hearing the sound of cars and people speaking, I lowered my head and froze, feeling my heart skip a beat.

Ben: "Monsters"

I muttered, staring in disbelief at the inhabitants of this supposed hell.

The inhabitants of the city looked anything but human. Some had horns, others wings, claws, and other unsettling features. Aliens exist, so why not demons? But what differentiated them from aliens was their actions. Though they appeared civilized with buildings, clothes, and cars, their behavior told a different story.

They were literally tearing each other apart. Some were somehow going about their normal lives while the majority were slaughtering each other. Suddenly, I noticed someone whip out a gun and start shooting at a car, killing the driver and sending the vehicle veering towards me. I quickly jumped away, rolling back to my feet. When I looked back, the car had crashed into a tree, uprooting it and causing it to fall on a group of demons. The impact was brutal, smashing them and making their eyes pop out. Another demon approached with a smirk, looting the bodies. It was sickening.

I quickly realized that if these demons were capable of such violence toward each other, they wouldn't hesitate to attack a human like me. This thought snapped me out of my daze, heightening my awareness of my surroundings and the demons beginning to take notice of me—I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Some pointed at me while others licked their lips, eyeing me hungrily. But what jolted me to action was seeing them draw closer, some grabbing guns, others brandishing knives. Without hesitation, I bolted, knowing I had to escape this hellish scene before I was forced to fight for my life.

Time Skip:

Finding an empty alleyway, I slipped inside and cautiously peeked my head out to observe the demons passing by. They moved past without noticing me, and I quickly withdrew, sighing in relief that I had avoided a confrontation.

I took a deep breath, trying to reassure myself despite the overwhelming sense of unease.

Ben: "Okay, Ben, collect yourself. You just need to find a way back to Earth. Remember your plumber training—when in an unknown territory, try to learn more about it"

I nodded to himself, recalling the advice from my Plumber training.

I rubbed my chin, deep in thought, trying to formulate a plan.

Ben: "But how? They can't see me"

I rolled my eyes, scanning the alleyway, my frustration grew as I noticed hypodermic needles littering the ground.

Ben: "Is this Kensington PA or hell?! Ugh, there's nothing useful here"

Suddenly I remembered the Omnitrix on my wrist and chuckled to himself.

Ben: "Oh yeah, I can transform! Duh"

I lifted my wrist, activating the Omnitrix. A holographic circle with aliens silhouettes appeared, illuminating the dark alleyway. As I scrolled through the available aliens, I pondered.

Ben: "Will this actually fool them into thinking I'm one of them?"

I stopped on an alien and shrugged.

Ben: "Well, one way to find out"

I smashed the watch, engulfing me with blinding green light. My limbs extended and changed, becoming leaner. My fingers fused into three bulky claws, and my feet developed black orbs for enhanced speed. A tail with five blue stripes emerged from my lower back. My face elongated into a streamlined shape, covered by a black cone-like helmet with a protective visor. Underneath the visor, my skin turned blue with black stripes running under and between my green eyes and over my black lips. My clothes morphed into a black bodysuit with a turtleneck-like shirt, accented by a central green stripe. As the light died down, I transformed into...

Xlr8: "Xlr8"

As XLR8, I slid away into the street, noticing some bystander demons giving me suspicious glares for no apparent reason before they continued walking.

XLR8: "Phew, that could've gone differently. These demons don't seem to differentiate between aliens and their own kind"

I then moved my gaze ahead down the street, a smirk on my lips.

XLR8: "Alright, let's see if I can find anything useful around here"

I dashed at the speed of sound, slicing through the hot, heavy air of the demon-infested streets. In my haste, I accidentally knocked aside several demons who were close by the wind that was generating around me.

My head snapped around, taking in everything in sight, analyzing it in split seconds. Most of the buildings were of no use to me, until something caught my attention: a crowd of demons gathered around an electronic product store. Behind the glass, TVs were showcasing a news channel. Intrigued, I made my way there, slowing down to avoid accidentally knocking anyone away.

The logo below the channel name read '666 News'—why am I not surprised?

On the TV screen, two reporters appeared. One wore a gas mask, and a creepy demon lady with a crooked neck and a big smile stood beside him.

Katie Killjoy: "Welcome, everyone. I'm Katie Killjoy"

Katie Killjoy tilted her neck down unnaturally as she introduced herself.

Beside her, the other reporter nervously adjusted some papers in his hands, glancing uneasily at the camera. The glasses of the gas mask seemed to act like eyes, subtly moving as if conveying his emotions.

Tom Trench: "And I'm Tom Trench"

Katie Killjoy jabbed him with a smile that didn't seem playful, causing him to sway and ultimately fall from his chair.

Katie Killjoy: "Yeah, nobody really cares, Tom"

Tom Trench managed a shaky thumbs-up from the ground.

Katie Killjoy: "Anyway, in the latest Alastor news, the famous radio demon is lending his hand to the Princess of Hell with her 'extraordinary' project—a sinners' rehabilitation hotel"

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. I hadn't expected such a concept, especially coming from the supposed Princess of Hell.

Xlr8: "Sinners' rehabilitation hotel? That's..."

Katie Killjoy: "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, right Tom?"

I furrowed my brow at her dismissive tone, staring at the TVs, contemplating her words.

Xlr8: "Well, that's not a bad idea. A fantastic ambition to aid dem-"

I abruptly stopped himself, noticing the demons had ceased watching the broadcast and were now eyeing me instead. Quickly, I faked a scoff.

Xlr8: "Huh, whatever. It's stupid..."

I trailed off deliberately, not wanting to arouse suspicion among the demons.

The demons returned their attention to the broadcast, and I followed suit. Tom Trench was slowly getting up and settling back into his chair.

Tom Trench: "Uhh... Yeah, sure"

Katie Killjoy: "And besides, the Happy Hotel? What kind of name is that? Does Miss Rainbow think there's something to be happy about in this place?!"

As she scoffed, her hand gestured dismissively towards the screen, where the name 'Happy Hotel' flashed in bright colors with a picture with what I assumed was the said Hotel. Her tone dripped with disdain, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of irritation.

Tom Trench: "On other news, VoxTek Enterprises is set to release their upcoming phone next week, and the ultra model the following month"

Katie Killjoy furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief.

Katie Killjoy: "Wait, it's coming that soon? I just bought their latest model six months ago! What's even new about this model"

Tom Trench slicked his hair back nervously before responding.

Tom Trench: "It's exactly the same, but now it has an extra camera that nobody asked for!"

Katie Killjoy scowled.

Katie Killjoy: "Fuck, if only they didn't deliberately slow down their older models"

Tom Trench chuckled nervously.

Tom Trench: "You know, corporate greed"

Katie Killjoy rubbed her temple in frustration.

Katie Killjoy: "Shut the fuck up, Tom. Just shut the fuck up"

Tom Trench: "Oh, sorry"

I backed away from the electronic product store, tuning out the ongoing chatter that held no interest for me.

No One POV:

In the privacy of his thoughts, Ben contemplated his dire situation. Aware that the denizens of hell posed a grave threat, he recalled his Plumber training's advice to seek help from trusted sources, although he hadn't paid much attention to that part.

The Hell Princess herself appeared to be his best bet. From what he have heard, she seemed like a good-hearted person, Ben thought. Despite never meeting her, he felt it was worth a shot to seek her aid.

Xlr8: "But how the fuck will I find it?"

He pondered for a moment, tilting his head in thought. Then, he decided to ask.

Lifting his claw as a demon walked his way, he asked.

Xlr8: "Excuse me, sir"

The demon just bumped into him, pushing him slightly away before continuing on his path.

Demon: "Get the fuck out of my face"

Xlr8 puffed out his chest in anger.

Xlr8: "What an asshole"

Xlr8 approached a few other demons nearby, hoping to get some information.

Xlr8: "Hey, excuse me. Do you know where I can find the Hell Princess?"

But the demons simply ignored him, continuing with their own business as if he wasn't there.

Xlr8 tapped his leg impatiently, frustration mounting as the demons continued to ignore him, their attention fixed on their own  activities.

Xlr8: "You gotta be kidding me"

He looked around with a blank stare, realizing the difficulty of his situation.

Xlr8 shook his head in frustration.

Xlr8: "Fine, I'll find her myself"

With a swift movement, the visor slid over Xlr8's face as he darted off, determined to locate the Hotel.

Outro: