AN/This is the result of my gloom about Kevin's current state-write a series of stories where the characters of Ben 10 are just the cast of a show, like in Roger Rabbit, and the following people and pairings (Gwevin, Benlie, Darkcaster, Albedo, and Plumber's Helpers) all live in the same house to save the producers money. They are all pretty much okay with each other off set, since the people who aren't able to deal with the heroes live in the designated "villains house" (Argit, Vilgax, Aggreggor, Z'skyar, and Hex). This is purely for fun and giggles, with this shot setting up the daily routine.
Also, I do not own the Ben 10 cast...it'd be more fun if I did though...
Breakfast Attempts
Breakfast was never an easy thing around here, Ben had decided early on. Verdona, as the most powerful, oldest, and most responsible (relatively speaking of course), had assumed command with Grandpa Max off negotiating with the producers (he was doing that a lot lately, especially with Kevin pitching a fit about his current role in the show).
As the main cast of the show, the directors had put them all in the same house from the very start. It drove some of them a bit up at wall, especially with the plethora of major problems. The first was, of course, that some of them hated each other. It took Verdona beating the crap out of Kevin and Darkstar, who went by Michael now (it was too weird to call him by his title off screen, especially when his mask was off) to get them to stop fighting over everything from each other's girlfriends to what to watch on TV. Sure, they still fought, but no bones or appliances had been broken…recently.
Charmcaster and Gwen were another story. While magic-wise they had done nothing, they had shot barbs at each other like crazy until one night when Helen and Julie had dragged them somewhere. Ben wasn't sure what Julie and Helen did to them, but now the squabbles seemed to be of the normal sort. Albedo and Ben just avoided each other like the plague.
Now the main aggressor for Kevin was Manny, both had a need to be the alpha male that Ben and Mike didn't really possess. Mike had CC (Charmcaster's nickname, due to her real one being a mouthful) and was fine with it, and Julie didn't need Ben to fight to feel proud of him…not that Gwen or Helen did either, but whenever Manny and Kevin got into it, so did their girls.
Cooper was usually content to stay in his room and work on random gadgets that might be needed for new episodes, but Alan preferred to cheer on the fights, which often got him in a lot of trouble with Verdona. Peirce, Helen's protective older brother, usually did various house-chores to keep himself occupied so as to not get dragged into the fights, and often would drag Albedo along with him to keep the genius out of trouble (and away from the kitchen's supply of frozen chili fries). The Galvan-turned-human couldn't live with the villains of the show because he kept making them want to kill him.
Julie…yeah, she usually ended up in the role of moderator. CC and Mike had never met her before they moved in, and neither had the most of the Plumber's Helpers or Albedo, so she was a neutral influence.
Back to breakfast, Ben decided. He was hoping that only Kevin and Mike, the main early risers, were up, they usually would both just stare at the coffee pot until it produced "the sacred liquid" (as both had referred to it at some time or other…) and then take their time drinking it.
Ben didn't like coffee, even if he dumped like, eight packs of sugar and half a cup of cream in it-he just didn't like it. "Hey guys, 'sup?"
Both glared at him before returning their gazes to the slowly working coffee pot. Ben shrugged and poured himself some juice, "Better get that coffee soon, I think I head the others waking up."
The stares at the coffee pot took on looks of urgency. Ben knew why-if Mike and Kevin didn't get the coffee before the breakfast chaos started, there would be hell to pay.
"So…anybody seen Grandma Verdona this morning?" Ben asked.
Kevin shook his head as Michael finally lost his patience with the coffee pot and started tapping his foot agitatedly.
"Yeah, we need a faster one of those," Ben commented. The guys glared at him again.
Suddenly the pot finally beeped and Kevin rushed over, hastily pouring two mugs and returning to the table. Both drank it black, which Ben found weird. Julie wandered in, clad in her pajamas, "Hi guys."
"No talk, coffee," Mike sighed around sips.
"And you call Kevin simple," Julie teased.
Mike leveled her with a glare, "Do not insult me until the coffee is gone."
"You both are useless in the morning, you know that? What if we need to film an important episode that takes place early in the morning, huh?" Julie asked, pausing on her way to the fridge to give Ben a peck on the cheek.
"Then Tennyson gets to be the big hero of the episode and we won't get any credit?" Kevin tried sarcastically. 'Hell, I wouldn't mind a day off-screen with what they've got me doing right now…heck, they almost had me "kill" Gwen!'
"Ha ha, you're so hilarious," Ben said flatly. "He Jules, grab me a pudding cup?"
"Fruit or chocolate?" Julie asked.
"Ten bucks on chocolate," Mike murmured into his coffee.
"Chocolate," the "hero of heroes" decided. Mike drew an imaginary tic mark in the air.
"Darkstar one, Benjamin zero."
Kevin snickered.
After a few minutes Gwen wandered in. Kevin, by now having finished his coffee, snagged her around the waist and pulled her into his lap for a long, sleepy kiss. Ben did his best not to gag since Julie was giving him "the look." Mike started counting down in his head from ten. He had gotten to two when it happened.
"MANNNNNY!" Helen's voice rang throughout the house.
"I'll bet the Generator Rex cast heard that," Kevin commented, now ready to deal with any insanity as he had partaken of his coffee. The cast of that show lived well across town.
"True, she's getting much shriller. I think she's starting to crack," Mike agreed. Helen rushed into the room at full speed and grabbed the nearest person, who happened to be Ben, and shook him wildly by the shoulders.
"Have you seen Manny? I'm so going to kill him this time! Is there any bacon?" She paused to look around the kitchen, before shaking Ben again, "Tell that jerk that I'm going to rip him in half when you see him, okay! That-that idiot!" She growled and ran out of the room.
"Wonderful way to start the day," Mike commented, before wandering over to the fridge, "Do we have bacon? I could really go for some bacon…"
"You're the one at the fridge, man," Kevin said. "Me, I'm having eggs and sausages."
"Only if I agree to cook the sausages for you, or do you not remember what happened last time?" Gwen asked.
"One time, one time!" Kevin argued as Albedo came in.
"You blew up the damn stove," the Galvan-turned-human said dryly as he went right for the freezer and its supply of chili fries. Frowning as Julie blocked him with a pointed look, he pulled some juice out of the fridge instead and added, "The only reason the kitchen was saved from the explosion and fire was because Gwen and Charmcaster put up shields and I turned into a Neofrigian-"
"Big Chill," Ben corrected.
"-a Neofrigian," Albedo continued, "and froze anything that had caught on fire."
"And me," Kevin said coolly.
"You were on fire," Albedo replied snidely.
"Kevin was on fire? How did I miss that?" Mike asked no one in particular.
"Who wants eggs?" Julie asked, trying to prevent an argument. "CC will be down soon and said she wanted some, and Kevin said he did too, anyone else?"
"Scrambled with ketchup please," Albedo said, sitting next to Mike.
"I'll take some, sunny side up if you can, Julie," Gwen added. "Anyone want sausages?"
"Ooh, yeah, meat for me!" Manny said, coming in.
"Helen says she's going to kill you," Kevin relayed as Ben asked Gwen for sausages as well.
"Really, what did he do this time?" Albedo asked, vaguely interested.
"We have yet to find out," Mike replied. "Manny, what did you do to Helen, exactly?"
"Huh, I haven't done anything to Helen, why?" the four-armed boy asked.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Manny was suddenly smashed against a wall as Helen peppered him with punches. Even with her low arm-strength, the sheer speed made them hurt Manny. A thread of Mana looped around her, pulling her towards the doorway, where Charmcaster stood.
"If we kill each other Verdona will be pissed, not to mention the directors," she said simply as she held Helen in place while moving to sit across from Mike and next to Ben. "Anyone cooking yet?"
"Sausages or eggs?" Julie asked.
"Eggs with tomatoes, if you please," Charmcaster replied.
"Sure," Gwen said, tossing a couple of tomatoes to Julie.
"Alan up yet?" Ben asked Albedo, who dared his room with the young boy. Helen had stopped punching Manny and was dragging him off, despite his protests of not having gotten to eat yet.
The white haired boy shook his head, "No, he's sleeping like the dead, so much so that I was actually worried enough to check his pulse."
"Seriously, what doesn't he sleep through?" Kevin asked.
"Exceedingly loud pop music sung by preteen humans," Albedo replied. "I set some to go off in about fifteen minutes."
"You're a horrible person," Charmcaster said lazily.
"I know that, it's what I was created to be," Albedo replied, confused. "Why did you feel the need to tell me?"
"Good lord we need to get this boy up on social norms," Julie said, tossing a bottle of milk to Charmcaster who opened it and began to drink.
"I'll see if the library has any books on it," Cooper offered, entering.
"Drop dead," Albedo snarled at the blonde.
"Make me," the techopath replied dryly.
"Your avatar on Galaxy of Battlecraft shall die a wretched death!" Albedo hissed.
"Oh please, you don't stand a chance against me," Cooper argued and Kevin mouthed "geeks" to Mike, who nodded calmly in reply.
"I do if I get Jimmy and Rivett on my side," Albedo replied with a smirk. Rivett was a guy from an old show called Dragon Booster who had insane videogame skills.
"You wouldn't dare," Cooper snarled.
"Cooper, breakfast is eggs and or sausages, what do you want?" Gwen asked quickly to distract him.
"Egg Benedict please, Gwen," the blonde said before glaring at Albedo again. Kevin yanked Cooper into a chair next to him, therefore putting the half-osmosian between the bickerers.
"Someone's feeling brave," Charmcaster commented. Kevin shrugged and shoved Albedo, who was detailing the demise of Cooper's game self quite dramatically, off his chair.
Albedo snarled something that none of them caught, only to almost get trampled by Pierce who rushed in, "Has anyone seen Helen?"
"She just dragged Manny off to "kill" him," Gwen relayed, finishing the sausages and handing them out.
"Uh oh, I was trying to get Alan and got her instead, I better apologize fast!" Pierce said, running out again.
"That solves that," Charmcaster said as Julie handed out the eggs. "Has anyone seen Verdona lately?"
"She left me a note say she'd be back around lunch," Gwen replied.
"So, what are we going to do until then?" Albedo asked, bored.
"The same thing we do every day, Pinky," Julie quipped as she and Gwen handed out the plates.
"…This is some pop culture reference that I am missing, isn't it?" Albedo asked warily.
As everyone laughed, Julie tapped her finger against her chin, "But seriously, what should we do..?"
Kevin shrugged "We'll come up with something. We always do."
NEXT TIME: Kevin, Gwen, and Mike come up with something! An inter-show games day with Star Wars and Generator Rex!