Prologue
As the minute hand fell over its hour counter part, a dramatic sigh of anguish escaped the slightly chapped lips. Apple green eyes rolled into the back of the head they rested in. The sound of skull colliding into the brick filled the air, followed by a groan of agony. There he was, Ben Tennyson, defender of the universe, hero to all (with the exception of Will Harangue and his audience), and what was he doing? Waiting, in the scorching sun of the dessert no less.
Almost a year had flown by since his secret had been exposed to the world. It sent a shock wave to the very core of the planet. The people of Earth had so many concerns. What was out there? Would they be able to defend themselves? How could they communicate with other species? What did it mean for their way of life? The United Nations debated this for a few months before Magister Ghilhil made contact. He informed everyone of his and the Plumbers peaceful mission. Although his number one priority was to track down all the immigrants and register them through the bureau, he promised to set up a Plumbers branch on earth. Now that all the aliens were intergalactic citizens of the planet earth, he had an obligation to fulfill.
Grandpa Max had been named Ambassador of Intergalactic Affairs by the UN considering he was the only one in any military who had been a Plumber, which was and still is working out really well for him. Although he'd never admit it, Max Tennyson's body was far from the condition it use to be in, but the idea of retirement made him cringe. He was down, but he wasn't out, so this job was a happy medium. However, that still left the position of Commanding Officer of the base still open. That's what had brought them out to Los Soledad. It was here that they would restore the Plumbers Organization.
Looking down at his wrist watch, he hoped some of Paradox's abilities had rubbed off, just enough for the clock to bend to his will. The minute hand slunk ahead by a measly sliver. This generated another desperate groan from the 18 year old. Tapping his foot in frustration, he proceeded to stare down his latest enemy.
"Do you mind?" His fiery haired cousin asked with frustration. Standing next to him against the brick wall, she shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. "I don't enjoy waiting out here any more then you do." She wiped the bead sweat from her brow to put emphasis on her point.
"It's not the waiting." Ben sneered. "It's who we're waiting for." His cousin matched his earlier frustration. "Come on, Gwen. The Plumbers must of lost it when they picked this guy to be in charge. I mean, this D. Little has been locked up on Incarcecon and the Null Void!"
"How many times do we have to go over this?" Gwen rubbed her temples. "He's was arrested for being a vigilante, doing Plumbers work without actually being one. Something we've done by the way."
"Never that extreme though!" Ben quickly defended. "And what about those charges about trafficking illegal tech on the black market?"
"He was tried Ben, not convicted." She retorted, feeling a headache coming on. "Besides, that same crime is on Kevin's record."
"Kevin's different."
"How?" Her cousin fell quiet. "Kevin was actually convicted and started selling again once he got out. Which, he only did when he was in need of some cash." She quickly defended her boyfriend. "Besides, he was exempted from all the charges." He went to speak, but she cut him off. "And, Azmuth himself appointed this D. Little guy to the position. You of all people should know how hard it is to get his approval." Ben let out a dramatic sigh of defeat as he leaned back against the wall.
"I know" He fell a little quiet. "I just really wanted the job." He kicked up the dirt at his feet. Gwen put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze as if to release his sadness.
"Maybe it's temporary. You know, until you get a little more experience."
"Yeah." There was a silent moment between the cousins as they both fell back into their spots on the wall. Their eyes locked onto an unidentifiable object on the horizon, ripping through the gravel and heading towards them. As it came closer, they recognized it as Kevin's camaro. It eventually came to a skidding stop, tossing up the dust into the air. The passenger door opens and out steps their partner.
"Sup?" He calls out as he shuts the door and heads over to the emerald eyed beauty.
"Nice of you to join us." Ben states with sarcasm laced onto the words.
"Hey, fuck you." The raven haired teen retorted, jabbing a finger towards his friend.
"Kevin." Gwen scolded him, as she folded up her arms instead of greeting him with open ones.
"I'm sorry Gwen." He kissed her on the head before covering up her ears. "Fuck you!" He playfully shouted at Ben, earning him a not so playful smack from Gwen. He quickly remedied that by wrapping his arms around her. "I had to help my mom move some boxes out of the attic. She's finally decided to unpack everything and get settled in, but our attic is a war zone of boxes."
"That bad?" She asked.
"My mother has boxes dating back to when she was six."
"Aw, poor baby." She mocked before giving a quick kiss. Ben groaned in disgust.
"You two are sick! You know that? What makes you think I want to see my cousin make out with my best friend? Where's Grandpa Max with this guy? I'm going insane just waiting here!"
"Yeah, I wanna meet this guy. He's gotta be something to get you all worked up Tennyson. What's his name?" Before either one could answer Kevin, the horn of the Rust Bucket broke their conversation. Pulling up on the other side of Kevin's car, Max parked his RV with a trailer attached to it.
"Hey kids!" He called out the drivers window.
"Hey Grandpa." The cousins said in unison.
"Mr. Tennyson." Kevin gave a simple nod.
"Sorry it took so long." Max stood and walked out to greet them. "It took us a while to load up all of her things."
"That's alright Gran..." Ben stopped "Her? Her who?"
"Well, her as in Daisy, Daisy Little." Max answered a little confused. Kevin's arms started to unwrap themselves Gwen as they fell limp to his side and a somewhat blank expression fell on his face. "Who else?"
"Daisy Little? That's who they got?" Kevin asked stupefied, which fell on deft ears do to Ben's screams.
"D. LITTLE IS A GIRL?" His arms in the air.
"Got a problem with that?" A voice came from the Rust Bucket. The sound of footsteps could be heard as the young woman stepped out from behind the open door. Dirty blonde barrel curls cascaded down in a somewhat disheveled mess complemented by her big doe, sky blue eyes with golden rings in them and sun kissed skin with freckles. Her heart-shaped face was adorned with a playful red smiled. "Cause I'll be more then happy to beat the arrogant, macho, sexist-pig shit out of you."
There has to be a mistake, Ben thought, she can't be any older then us. He looked her over from top to bottom again, to see if he missed something to indicate her authority or wisdom. A faded white tee draped off her shoulders with a black tank top underneath barely covered her midriff, revealing a simple belly button ring. The jean skirt exaggerate her already long legs, a leather belt and Plumbers badge resting on her hip and her feet were adorned with worn burgundy leather knee high boots. Her ears had been pierced three times on the lobes and a hoop was placed in the top corner of her right ear. On her left arm was a tattoo that seemed to wrap around her arm. A peach pit ring rested on her ring finger and a pad lock on a cord dangled from her neck. Wait, Ben did a double take, pad lock necklace?
"Surprise Kevin!" Daisy cried in a sing song voice, doing a little shimmy to go along with it. The Tennyson's turned to look at the boy in question. "Did you miss me lover?"
