Chapter Text
Ben felt a new connection form in his traveling ability. He was now proficient enough to visit animated dimensions. This opened videogames, cartoons, anime, and CGI movies or shows. It also meant that he had more options where superpowers weren't so incredibly overpowered. He didn't want to say anything, as it tempted fate, but he was getting a little bored being so powerful. Playing in god-mode got old fast. Live Action superhero movies had to tone down the power level meaning an animated version of Thor was in another weight class than Hemsworth Thor. Another day or two of catching up on media would be a good idea.
"You're smiling like a fool," Loki said breaking him out of his thoughts.
Ben chuckled, "Says the man in a cell."
"I was taking it easy on you," Loki said in a faux-huff.
Ben looked at the table between them. He had decided to bring Monopoly money so they could play poker properly. Loki was on a stretch of bad luck. Ben learned a few things rather fast once they started playing poker. One, Loki's illusions worked on the cards but would faulter when touched. Two, Frigga was an absolute monster. Third, and finally, Thor was really good at reading Loki.
Things with the brothers had made inroads on healing their bond. Loki and Ben were shocked when Volstagg asked to join the game. Fandral followed shortly after. Sif didn't seem to have an interest in joining and Hogun was still on Vanaheim. Ben had to loot a few more Monopoly games to adjust for the increased number of players.
Odin had still not visited. There was little chance that Loki would impersonate Odin with the changes to the plot. Frigga being alive made it impossible. She knew Loki's tricks. It was just the two of them today.
"Truly," Loki said. "Why were you smiling?"
Ben shrugged, "I finally solved a problem with my travels."
"I could come with you," Loki offered.
"We've been over this. I'd be banished from Asgard," Ben chuckled.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Loki asked. "You could go to another Asgard."
"Yes, I could," Ben nodded. "And it would be completely different." He smirked. "For instance, that Loki could be an insufferable jerk."
"Ha," Loki rolled his eyes at me. "Does this mean I won't see you for some time?"
"Hm," Ben sighed. "Yes. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Killing Thanos was my main goal. You'll be out on good behavior soon and the Avengers can handle things on their own." Ben flashed Loki with a smile. "And I'm curious to see what happens on Earth next."
Loki raised an eyebrow, "Good behavior?"
Ben nodded.
"If I remain in this cell by the time you return then I expect you to take me with you," Loki stated.
Ben smiled, "Deal."
He stood and shook off the funk of sitting for so long. It was habit more than anything. His muscles didn't ache or twitch like they did before he had powers. Ben wasn't sure he actually needed to sleep or if that too was a habit. He could 'breath' in space without an issue.
"I've enjoyed this," Ben said. "You're a better person than you think."
He stepped away leaving before Loki could say anything.
The Circle
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA – 2025
Ben had almost forgotten about the time portion of traveling from dimension to dimension. He had been in the MCU for a year which meant it had been one year in every dimension he had visited. Some cash from his Cube had got him a couple weeks in a hotel suite.
He wondered if he should just buy a house for this dimension. A trip around the country in The Walking Dead clearing out banks would make that easy. He wondered if he could make the Cube a fully functional living space. That would mean he wouldn't have to go to a new dimension every time he needed to plan. There had to be something he could do.
Ben spent the majority of his time at the hotel catching up on his cartoons and anime. There were a few places he wanted to visit simply to do so. He had put together a list of places he wanted to visit, things he wanted to do, and how much time he thought it would take. It wasn't in any real order just what came to mind as he thought.
1. My Hero Academia – slap Bakugo, train Midoriya, rescue Eri, and kill a couple villains.
Estimated Time – At least six months
2. Invincible – Smack Rex Splode. Convince Omni-Man that a hostile invasion is stupid and give him a better plan.
Estimated Time – Around six months
3. Gargoyles – Just hang out
Estimated Time – A couple of days
4. Dan Machi – Adventure
Estimated Time – Months
5. That Time I Got Resurrected as a Slime – Hang out
Estimated Time – A couple of Weeks
6. Star Wars The Clone Wars – Do Everything
Estimated Time – A long, long time
7. Gravity Fall – Just hang out
Estimated Time – Probably a Month or so
8. Skyrim – It had to be done
Estimated Time – A couple months
9. Fallout 4 – Take over the Institute
Estimated Time – A year
10. Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy – Get Mio to make some armor, help where possible
Estimated Time – Around a year probably
11. So, I'm a Spider, So What – Take a Look Around
Estimated Time – A couple of weeks to a few months
That wasn't even mentioning the various DC and Marvel cartoons he wanted to visit. There had to be shows and movies he was forgetting about right now. He could some time to arrange the list in order of potential length of time or urgency. Some moments he wanted to intervene, witness, or provide assistance had a small window of time. There were also timelines that he needed to refresh his knowledge.
It was instinctive knowledge that the Clone Wars version of Star Wars was separate from the live-action movies and series. Killing Palpatine wouldn't have an impact there. There were a few other places that he would visit simply to remove some annoying or evil characters and intervene when he so desired. Any annoying character on his 'kill list' weren't simply comic relief. These were the ones that actively caused conflict and never had to face the consequences of their actions.
The main problem he could see was that he wouldn't fit in with some of these worlds. This body was the equivalent age of being in the early to mid-twenties. Having some random 'hero' show up at that age would draw more attention than it was worth. Not to mention some of the other dimensions he wanted to visit had more options than just human. Shapeshifting would be the best fix.
There was one option that I could get without much of an issue.
Xena The Warrior Princess and Hercules the Legendary Journey
Amazon Village – Date Unknown
Gabrielle handed the mask to the Amazons.
"Just don't expect me to show up to any parades or anything," Gabrielle said with a small smile.
"Amazons don't have parades," The Amazon holding the mask replied.
Gabrielle's smile faded, "It was a joke."
"I know," The Amazon deadpanned.
She turned and held the mask for the others to see. The assembled Amazons cheered until it was broken by a rage filled scream. A bloodied and beaten Velasca limped into the village.
"You are all fools!" She screamed. "That mask was mine. By rights of the Amazon, that mask was mine!"
The world seemed to pause to allow the tension to grow. Gabrielle and Velasca locked eyes.
"Hello, Gabrielle," the bloodied Amazon sneered. "You thought I was dead, didn't you?"
The look of pure shock on the blonde's face told everyone Velasca was right.
Xena stepped in front of her friend, "I don't know how you survived that fall, but you're hurt. You need help."
"I have all the help I need right here," Velasca unbuttoned a pouch on her belt and raised a piece of Ambrosia. "Ambro-"
Ben appeared, "Yoink."
He snatched the gummy that granted godhood from her grip at super speed. To their credit, the Amazons reacted almost instantly. The appearance of a man in their midst seemed to make them forget about the vengeful queen. It probably had to do with him now holding the piece of Ambrosia.
"Big fan," Ben waved to Xena.
Xena The Warrior Princess and Hercules The Legendary Journeys
Asgard Gardens – Date Unknown
The tree with golden apples was in a cave of all things. In the middle of a cavern surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites was a perfectly circular patch of green. A large tree emanated its own light. Each apple glowed with contained energy. Having two methods of godhood from different pantheons was a decent plan.
Ben plucked one apple from a branch. After a moment he plucked a couple more just in case. He considered taking a cutting of the tree to plant elsewhere. Unfortunately, he didn't have anywhere he could create an orchard of golden apples. He would keep the seeds just to be safe.
CUBE
Ben held the godhood gummy up for inspection. It was odd to say the least. He shrugged and popped it in his mouth. It tasted like starlight. A spike of panic sparked along his spine as he realized that he hadn't removed his super-powers. There were dimensions that he could now access where he would be in the middle of the pack power-wise. As odd as it sounded he was looking forward to more of a challenge.
Super-powers plus godhood could potentially make things incredibly boring.
His entire being was overcharged with energy. His mind expanded and now fully understood his stolen super-powers. Godhood guided the information in his mind. The new abilities from the Ambrosia would take some adjustment, but the ones from the meteor were incredibly simple. Ben knew the addition of godhood allowed him even more control over his super-powers. He could toggle them off and on at will, he could adjust their strength to fit the setting and alter it as he wished.
Ben took a breath to steady his nerves. He picked up an apple and took a bite. It tasted like Honeycrisp with a slight edge of honey. This version of godhood chilled him to his core. He could feel the two sources of divinity dance around each other. They enhanced each other, filling in the holes the other suffered. He wasn't truly a god. Omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence were still beyond him. He was more of a demi-god. Even now he wasn't nearly as powerful as the being that granted him the Traveler abilities.
Now that he could toggle his powers there were a lot of live action dimensions he could visit now that he wouldn't be too overpowered. Playing in God Mode for long was boring. There were a few dimensions that he wouldn't mind tearing through but those were ones he didn't plan to stay for too long.
It was time to test some things out.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime
Rimuru City
Ben appeared at the edge of the city. He wore the armor he had custom made on Asgard. It blended in easily enough with the varied fantasy races that called the place home. He scanned the area to get a good look at his first experience with an animated world. It was a little disappointing that everyone looked like actual people. The Orcs were large, bipedal porcine creatures and the Lizard-folk were true to their name, but they looked as real as he was.
He shrugged and started to make his way around the city. His original plan was to see if he could ask Rimuru for assistance with shapeshifting. It wasn't as urgent since he fit in well-enough with the locals. Ben stopped by a food stall only to realize he didn't have any more.
"Excuse me," Ben called to get the merchants attention.
The merchant, a named goblin by the look of him, looked at him expectantly.
"This is my first time visiting," Ben said. "Could you explain the money system?"
The merchant scrunched their brow, "It's Copper, Silver, and Gold."
"Right, but how many Coppers does it take for a Silver?" Ben clarified.
"A hundred Copper per Silver, ten silver per gold," The merchant replied. "Are you going to buy anything?"
Ben looked at the unidentified meat on a stick, "I'm broke at the moment."
"Then get out of here," The merchant shooed him away. "You're taking space from paying customers."
Where could he get gold coins? Ben strolled idly down the street taking it all in. He wondered what would happen if he transplanted a character from another anime to this place. Would the System from So, I'm a Spider, So What – also known as Kumo Desu – carry over? Would Makoto Misumi still have all his power here? He would probably get along well with Rimuru.
Both were dimensions he wanted to visit. Overlord too. Sword Art Online was a complicated choice as it was the game that interested him, not the world where it was. He would have to find a way to get into the game and he wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble. Gun Gale Online, though, looked fun.
He added Moonlit Fantasy, Overlord, and Kumo Desu. Gold, Silver, and Copper coins were something of a necessity if he was going to continue traveling to fantasy dimensions. There was a chance that the gold bars could work if he got them converted.
Ben stopped by another stall, "Excuse me."
"Welcome, welcome," The lizard-folk merchant said. "What has caught your eye?"
Ben took a look at what was on display. This one sold jewelry rather than unknown grilled meat.
"I was hoping you could tell me where I could convert currency?" Ben asked.
The reptilian merchant narrowed their eyes, "Promise to come back to buy something?"
"Of course," Ben nodded.
"Big building two streets that way," The merchant pointed to the left.
"Thank you," Ben smiled before walking away.
Ben followed the directions to discover it was a bank. He stepped inside and into one of the lines for a teller. It was oddly comforting to see people waiting in a line at the bank in a world filled with magic, monsters, and actual demon lords. Seeing a bored Orc made him chuckle.
He summoned a bar of gold as he stepped to the counter. The teller, a named goblin woman, was unimpressed by the casual show, probably thinking it was just another spell.
"I need to convert this to coins," Ben said setting the bar on the counter.
The teller looked at it. He expected shock at the bar or maybe some confusion at the emblem. Instead, she pulled out a book the size of a deck of cards. She flipped through it until she found the proper page then cast a spell on the bar. From there she took out a set of scales from her station to weigh it.
"That is worth five hundred gold pieces," The teller told him. "It will take some time to gather the entire amount. We can give you a daily allotment of fifty gold coins, one hundred silver, and one hundred copper for the time."
"How long would I have to leave my gold bar here?" Ben asked.
"At most, a week," The teller shrugged. "Three days at the least."
"That will work," Ben sighed. "Do you have a recommendation for a place to stay?"
~
Ben rested in the rented room. He had returned to the jewelry stall as promised and bought a silver ring before going to the Inn that the teller had suggested. It was a nice place considering it was a fantasy world. He couldn't remember if the anime had ever gone into detail about the housing. The fact that the place had indoor plumbing and the magic items that functioned the same as modern tech was a bonus he wasn't going to argue.
His initial thought was to speak with Rimuru about shapeshifting. It was a flimsy excuse to test out his new aspect of traveling but had some merit. He would see if getting an audience was possible. Finding an Olympian to teach him wasn't going to happen. The gods from that dimension were petty and prone to tantrums. He wasn't about to face off against a god until he knew how to use all of his divine abilities.
Ben had no desire to return to his previous form. He had grown accustomed to this body more than his old one. It felt right considering it was a sign of his new life. Altering his age, changing his appearance, and possibly changing into animals sounded cool.
Swapping his age around would make his travels smoother. He didn't want to limit himself to anime now that he could visit 'animated' dimensions. A visit to Hogwarts was practically required considering how many hours he spent reading the books, watching the movies, and reading fan fiction of varying spiciness. He hadn't reached the proficiency to travel to written worlds. It felt like it would be something he could do eventually.
He needed a super suit if he was going to go to any other dimension with powers. Showing up in his Asgardian armor would be lazy. He didn't want to risk it being destroyed either. It meant too much to him to have it torn apart in some random dimension. He would wear it when he returned to the MCU and only then. That meant he would need a different set of armor to wear when visiting fantasy worlds. He should be able to get a suit made here. Something Genghis Khan slash Mongolian warrior inspired sounded appealing. Scale Armor of treated leather and armor with a fabric backing. Something that would allow for a good range of movement without being too heavy. He would swap the helmet for something more fitting like a Bascinet or a Spartan helmet without the crest.
Ben hoped to get a hero suit made by Mio in Moonlit Fantasy. She loved Tokusatsu with a penchant for a Kamen Rider analogue. He was pretty sure he could trade memories of a series or two as payment. Tomeo was the one that could extract the memories. She loved historical fiction focusing on samurai. A trip to The Circle to binge watch a couple Kamen Rider series and Super Sentai for Mio then some samurai movies for Tomeo. The world Makoto came from wasn't the same as Ben's original which meant that he should have access to new media. He would have to be careful not to watch Moonlit Fantasy to avoid giving them too much information. His knowledge of the series stopped after the second season of the anime as he was eagerly awaiting the third before he was smeared across the parking lot.
With some luck he could convince Mio to make him a super suit like she had made for Makoto. It was basically an amalgam of various Kamen Riders. Ben didn't want to steal one from an actual Rider. He just thought the armor looked cool.
There was one thing he wanted to do before he forgot.
Family Guy
Quahog, Rhode Island, USA – May 2005
Ben appeared in the living room of the Griffin home. Peter was sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hey," Peter got to his feet. "You can't be here. How did you get here? It's like that ti-"
Ben smacked him once, twice, three times before he let Peter drop back to the couch.
"I'd kill you if I thought it would stick," Ben growled before he vanished.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime
Rimuru City
"That felt good," Ben sighed.
Now to order some armor.