A/n: Chapter 2's also redone thanks to my sister.
Characters (C) NOT me, mmkay?
II-
As Ben changed his clothes, he involuntarily stopped in his tracks. A sense of melancholy swept over him out of nowhere; making him drop to his knees. It was as if he had lost someone dear to him, a hollow emotion echoing within his very soul. His heart ached physically, almost a crippling pain, causing the boy to gasp for air. He couldn't scream for help, trapped in his own body. After two seconds, the emotion disappeared, releasing its death grip.
"Ben?" Gwen asked as the specter vanished from Ben. The boy nodded and like that, stood up. The Omnitrix looked normal so it couldn't have been the cause. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw what looked like four crows looking into the RV. Upon closer inspection, there were three pigeons, nothing more.
Raven spoke in her husband's native language, even amidst the below-freezing temperatures. "Irŭmŭl yŏtchŏbwado doélkkayo?" Max quickly recognized the flawless Hangul pronunciation as that of… "You must be from Bein's clan…my name is Max Tennyson." The mother sighed, relieved at finding the right man. "My husband sends you this."
Max had packed up the picnic set when a familiar presence made itself known. He smiled at the stranger that had just appeared beneath the RV's cabana. With his green hair, green eyes and grin, the stranger kept to the shadows while Max approached him, hands in pockets.
"Ain't it a little risky for you to be out in the sunlight?" A chuckle arose to the occasion. "You know better than that, Max. Sun's not a problem for me." "That would explain how you're out here in the open without anyone trying to deep-six you." Max replied heartily.
"Well, as long as we're on the subject; you've gained some weight there! Got a beer gut and everything." The childish nature of the stranger's voice evidenced his identity. As much as Max wanted to relive his younger days; he knew the other's presence meant bad news. "What are you doing upside, Bein?"
The young-looking man sobered up. "They know." Before he could continue, Ben and Gwen stormed out of the RV. Once the dust had settled, the stranger was gone but it was enough to make the former Plumber pale as white as snow. The Sun could only stay up for so long.
Max held the shivering baby in his hands and quickly realized what made him so wanted; tiny tears and sorrowful screams streamed down a rosy complexion so unnatural. The Plumber could even hear a light heartbeat and functioning lungs that were forcing out the child's plight. "No way…"
The afternoon went off without a hitch although both kids noticed their grandfather wasn't all there. The sunset signaled the coming fireworks show the park had prepared, cutting lake time short and causing Max's worrying to sky rocket. The stranger reappeared just outside the park gates, now with a raven bird perched on his shoulder.
He pointed to the sky and the ex-Plumber grasped what night had unfortunately fallen "Scherzo di Notti...the Joke of Nights."