#im chewing on that last idea like a starved dog on a bone anon

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

You remember that AF episode where Ben pretends to be evil (Above and Beyond)? What would happen if he pulled that with the HoMies?

It lives rent free in my head, anon. It was one of the better episodes in my opinion, because it showcases Ben in a different and much more favorable light!

Ooof, okay, it might not be the light-hearted 'haha ye he probably did and it would be epic/hilarious' answer you expect, but bear with me im trying to think of like in-verse situation here and honestly? I don't think it's gonna go over very well. There is potential that everyone can get very hurt?? And not just physically but emotionally.

You see I'm pretty sure almost all of the HoM-ies (going off my faulty memory here, sorry in advance if its wrong), at some point or another faced off someone who have turned sides from good to bad (or even themselves). So, all of them got kinda burned in that sense.

I'm not saying that they all automatically assume/believe that Ben really went Darkside, but they would certainly not dismiss the possiblity of it happening. I mean, they are those kind of people that would believe in the best of people/fellow heroes/misguided friends until the very end, but prior experience would mean that they also will take those sort of threat seriously.

And you know, to put such a doubt in a friend and teammate is terrible and upsetting imho. Because, you see in A&B ep. it was a controlled training exercise/graduation exam with people Ben sorta knows but is not exactly close with, and that setting kind of doesn't apply to HoMies?? So it would be either an incredibly mean-spirited prank or like a plot point to, I dunno, trick a villain into thinking Ben betrayed HoMies?? Very different end results here depending on a scenario lol.

But either way, if Ben does do something like that, I believe that he could be just as terrifyingly efficient in 'attacking' others, by playing their weaknesses and using his aliens smartly. Because we all know that there is a part of him that is like that, (terrifyingly smart and a bit mean i mean), however small it is and usually buried under his honest desire to be a hero and a good guy.

However if he does that, there is a much bigger chance that others would hit back. And hit hard. Because HoMies are not just plumber rookies in a training exercise, but experienced heroes and they know him just as well as he knows them. And remember that little fact about a lot of them being burned about people going dark side? Yeah, that means that they would feel very motivated to contain a friend who has possibly gone bad, if only to stop try and get him to see sense.

So I can see it escalating to a degree of serious injuries, because, well, Ben is versatile and strong, but going against all 8 of others, some of who match him, would be a very hard fight (certainly not like toying with rookies lol). I mean, he could separate them and fight mano-a-mano but it still would be a lot.

And like, oof, the emotional part of it is what getting to me in my head. Like, there could be a number of different scenarious where a situation like this could happen, but my mind stubbornly goes to 'mean prank' and 'for sake of mission'. In case of second one, others could be in on it from the start and/or they are not but figure out that Ben is doing it for a reason and they would understand, even if it may upset them he didnt trust them to help from the start.

(and in the end of that someone would absolutely joke, how terrifying of a bad guy Ben would make lol)

But, boy, in case of the first, Ben could burn some bridges and hurt others. Because, a prank like that with fellow heroes who experienced that sort of betrayal before??? like OOOF im getting sad just imagining it. ;(

but BUT!!!!! You know this ask gave me a much better happier idea???

Ben asking HoMies to help him do the same sort of training excersice/graduation exam for earth based plumbers, by playing the role of the bad guys with him!!!!!

God just imagine, all the bonding with Ben and others, 'fighting' against poor terrified rookies who are suddenly faced with a previously protector of Earth Robot XJ-9 turned bad, or a ghastly apparition from outer space that kinda looks like that ghost menace from Amity, or some weird robot guy with Big Fucking Sword and a freaking dragon???

All the shennanigans!!! And those poor rookies that graduate will have such weird freaking stories to tell other outer space cadets lol.