A Ben 10 AU of mine that I've been working on for a bit >:3c Project OMNI (Aka, Artificer Ben)! Some stuff about this guy and his universe below! LOTS of text, so if you're in a reading mood, here ya go :) If you have any questions after the lore dump, lmk :)
The universe of Project OMNI is rather simple and mundane, sticking relatively close to the roots of the Prime timeline's branch. The main difference between the two being a technological breakthrough called the 'Mana Burst' revolutionized tech all throughout the universe. The Mana Burst was first coined by Azmuth, who, with the help of his Anodite girlfriend Starr, successfully merged life energy and machinery. This discovery in how to handle Mana safely benefitted not only the Galvans, but many species across the galaxy. It also created many opportunities for Anodites to integrate into different societies with welcomed arms and less secrecy. As for the Omnitrix, it was created by both Azmuth and Starr, with help from others such as Myaxx. The Omnitrix Project had one simple goal: To help others understand differing species better, and to showcase harmony between energy and technology. However, during a raid on Galvan Prime commanded by Warlord Vilgax, the device was sent far away in order to protect the universe. Unlike in the Prime timeline, where it was shot down by Vilgax, the Omnitrix in this universe was smuggled by the Plumbers and was sent to Earth for safe keeping. Max Tennyson was chosen to be the one to safeguard the Omnitrix. Much like in the prime timeline, this did not happen. Instead, Ben saw a bright light while walking away from the campsite, causing him to investigate it. Approaching where the beam of light was, he came across the box containing the Omnitrix. Donning it, he discovered the powers of the device. Initially, he was rather lost on what to do with these powers. But, as time went on, he realized that he wanted to learn how it works, and help people in the process.
The way the Omnitrix works in this universe is different than it's Prime counterpart. Instead of transforming it's user, it summons a construct of Mana that resembles the dialed alien species. The user can control the construct as they would their own body. It took a lot of training for Ben to be able to restrain his physical body's movements while he was in control of his constructs. This does result in some alien constructs being able to interact with Mana/Magic based objects/beings. The biggest example being Upgrade, who can possess both technology and beings like Charmcaster's rock creatures. This also allows for Ben and Gwen to use combo moves of their respective powers, causing them to get along better during their adventures as kids.
As a hero in this universe, Ben's fighting style is significantly more defensive rather than offensive. Preferring to take notes on his enemies rather than combating them right away, Ben is often seen protecting his body for good amounts of time before taking on his enemies first thing. Due to this, Gwen became more of the fighter when they were younger, as Ben stuck to note taking and defensive measures. Later on, in their teenage years, Kevin became the primary brawler of the group with Gwen becoming more adept in spell casting. The three became close, especially as Kevin often held DnD nights to relax after major battles. When it came to light that Gwen and Kevin were going off to college, Max became worried for Ben's sake. Though he had gained a lot of skill as a fighter, he was still an amateur when it came to physical altercations. Because of this, he hired a traveling mercenary to help train Ben to become a better fighter. This mercenary was Rook Blonko, a young tinkerer/inventor. Though both Rook and Ben got along during their downtime as they shared a knack for technology, the two got into heated arguments when it came time to train with each other.
Side notes: Ben's a nerd, but often hides his interests that he deems as less mature. This includes his habit of collecting things like figures and trading cards. It's not uncommon to find cards hidden around his room from various series he enjoys. While taking very detailed notes on his villains in his various notebooks, Ben also makes trading cards of them in secret. He writes down stats and different tidbits of information, formatting them similar to MTG or Pokémon cards. Ben often asks Azmuth how the Omnitrix was constructed and the innerworkings of the device, more often than not to no avail. Even though Ben is on very good terms with Azmuth and Starr, Azmuth often tells Ben that 'A good teacher doesn't give away all the answers' whenever he asks about the device. Starr has a lot of sympathy for Ben in that regard. Gwen is interested in both Astrology and Astronomy, and often bases her magic and mana constructs (like her steps, shields and bolts) off of different constellations. Though Ben acts annoyed when she goes off about Astrology, she knows that he's very interested in what she has to say. If he wasn't, he wouldn't constantly ask her about his horoscopes. She is also going to college for a degree in Astronomy. Max takes on a role of a supervisor for Ben in this universe, as well as training Gwen on how to fight people. Since Ben's body had to be supervised when he was younger (so that it didn't run around aimlessly while Ben was controlling the construct), Max often stayed back in the Rustbucket to do so. During their travels, though, Max taught Gwen skills on how to defend herself when out in battle, as she was determined to fight alongside her cousin's constructs. Kevin enjoys being a DM when the group plays DnD, and it's how him and Gwen bonded when they became friends as teenagers. Though he dresses in a more punk-ish style, he is very passionate about his interests. He insists that his interests are the pinnacle of coolness. Kevin also has a Motorcycle instead of his car in this universe. Kevin originally started off as a villain for Ben and Gwen, but due to their reservation in instigating fights, he found himself enjoying their company. Though Kevin only mutated once while they were kids during an argument with Ben, he never stayed a villain. After being defeated, he went into hiding. He stuck to himself and got his life in order, finding a job at a hobby store and living in an apartment with Argit. That was, until he saw Gwen and Ben fighting a Highbreed commander. Seeing as they needed help, he was quick to join in the fight and also join their group. Rook left his planet to become a mercenary as an act of rebellion after many arguments with his family. He doesn't often bring up his past, and is quick to jump topics when asked about his family. He is a very skilled tinkerer, as his proto-tool is made up of three separate parts. The Claw-Pack, the Arm-Cannon and the Shoulder-Storage. All three parts can auto assemble into the Proto-Tool.
Some doodles! :)
