Julie looked down as the holographic map from the device before looking at the alleyway building in front of her. "Well according to the map it should be here." Deactivating the map function she pulled out part of the underside of the device holding it in front of her before a beam of energy shot out at the wall. On contact the wall recent itself and revealed a hidden stairway.
When she got to the bottom of the stairway she switched on the lights revealing a high tech room filled with cabbits, weapons lining the walls and right in front of her pieces of a familiar armored suit.
'So this is where he was keeping all of this?' The room in question was a old Plumber chichie a place that used to be used to resupply when in the field. Julie walked up to the armor suit pieces and picked up the vizor. "I haven't worn any of this in four years," Julie whispered to herself though it seemed her grandfather had modified them to so they could fit her now.
"Well if I'm going to I might as well suit up," Julie gave a sigh, though truth be told there was a small part of her that was excited about putting back on the suit and helping stop threats like she did with her grandfather a few years ago. Putting the suit pieces back on the chest piece first the waists second the boots and leggings before the vizor and with that they actived before each piece grow around covering her body and part of her head in light armored suit. The vizor activated as she cycled through the settings, "Night vision, Infrared, target lock, zoom? That's new."
After suiting up she looked through the cabinets for weapons, finding standard issue Plumbers ammo, food and water before finding what she was looking for. It was a custom made blaster pistol along with a rod which she tested out forming into a spikes for s spear a sword and a mace. Strapping the blaster to her back and placing both of these on the suits belt she gave a determined look to herself in the mirror, "I'm ready."
Gwen laid on the mat snoring a trail of drool coming out of her month as she did. The sun had gone down as waited for her cousin and just started to doze off. The light from the hallway brought her back a bit from her dream about smoothie sumo slammers causing her to awake just to see Ben looked down at her having changed into his usual outfit which consisted of a black shirt under green jacket, blue pants with white and blue shoes. "Well that's attractive." He commented.
Gwen almost frantically pulled herself up, wiping the drool off her face with her sleeve as her brain started to process where she was, "What, I'm awake…"
"You said you needed help." Ben reminded her of the reason she had came to him in the first place.
Gwen remembered looking down before correcting him " No, I need advice." She held up the Omnitrix for him to see. Seeing the alien device caused to brown haired boy to go wide eyed in shock haven't not expected this. He had thought she was done with the Omnitrix.
"What's this about?" Ben questioned wondering what could cause Gwen to bring the Omnitrix with him out of the box.
Gwen reached back into her pockets and pulled of the recording disk from the Rust bucket. "This it's a recording from Grandpa Max." She said as she sat down on the stands joined by Ben as she activated the recording.
"Hello Gwen,I left this recording were I knew only you would find I'm in a bit of a situation but it's nothing I can't handle currently nothing for you to worry about. There's been renewed alien activity on earth I looking into it." This caught Ben's attention for a moment. There hadn't been much of a reason for their grandpa to leave his retirement for years. The hologram disappeared before reappearing a bit later to finish it's recording, "Oh I almost forgot don't worry about the Omnitrix I have it and it's completely safe, they're never get their hands on it. Say hi to your cousin for me love you Max out." With that the holographic message was done and Ben turned to Gwen.
"Grandpa doesn't have the Omnitrix, you do." He said stating the obvious of what was wrong with this.
"Yeah I think it's was some kinda message." Gwen held up the Omnitrix as she said those words, "I think he wants me to put it back on again."
"He always said that it was your choice, you don't have to put it back on if you don't want to." Ben reminded him.
"I know but, I used to love the Omnitrix it made me feel special," Now that she heard herself say those words it made her seem kinda pathic in a way.
"You know it wasn't the watch that made you special it was you." Ben had a comforting smile. Gwen turned her head to her cousin and returned the smile feeling better about it. Yeah the Omnitrix may have given her powers but it was she who gave it meaning, "And you earned a chance at a normal life remember all we went though to get it off in the first place? You put that thing back on you can say good-bye that."
Gwen knew he was telling the truth it seemed that having it caused strange things to be attracted to her. In the four years since she removed the Omnitrix her life was uneventful, never mind how hard it was to get it off to begin with, "I know that, but what if Grandpa Max needs my help?"
"He said he can handle it, don't worry." Ben reassured her.
A door opened shining a light over them as a figure was concealed in it's own shadows, "The Omnitrix ain't yours." The figure spoke with a masculine voice that seemed to have a bit of a strange gurgling tone to it, "Give it up!" He commanded from the two of them.
"No way." Gwen countered as both she and Ben took off and out the door to the side with the man following behind tried to push open the l door only for it to refuse to budge a sign that it was locked.
The two turned around to see the man standing before them his hand out, "Give it to me now." He bellowed.
"Or what?" Gwen countered back as both she and Ben were ready to stand their ground.
"Or this!" He then removed his outfit which in a flash of light the man in front of them turned into a fish-like being wearing a white armored hazmat-like suit with a glass-like dome overhead.
"Ok that's just creepy." Gwen commented lost for words at this reveal. She tried to start take off down the other hall but before she could make a move a laser blast was fired right in front of her feet.
The alien out out his blaster pistol still smoking from the excess heat of it's freshly fired shot, "Don't make me use it on you." He warned with a threatening tone.
"Who's making?" Gwen asked. A soft sound was heard next to her as Ben stepped up on a green platform as two balls of it formed into him hands.
"Not fish face that's for sure." The one dubbed 'Fish Face' responded by firing at her three times. Ben waved his left arm in front causing the blasts to hit the energy he had summoned up before tossing a ball of energy at him which shattered almost like glass knocking the pistol out of hand. Not letting up Ben let loose another blast of energy which on contact with him moved around trapping him before Ben pulled it up as the platform disappeared and he landed back on the floor with no fuss.
"Wow you're getting very good that stuff," Gwen complimented a bit amazed he didn't need to speak the spell.
"Thanks." Ben said taking the compliment
Gwen returned her attention to the alien struggling to get out of Ben's hold before them, "I want some answers and I want them right now otherwise."
"Yeah?" The fish alien asked waited for his threat.
"I don't know I'll overfeed you." Gwen's threat feel flat and was more of a joke to all those present
The fish alien took some offense to that, "Girl I'm not here to joke I'm a douly deputized member of the Plumbers, the galactic law enforcement organization."
Gwen was confused at the declaration, "Wait galactic law enforcement? I thought they were some kinda you know secret earth organization."
That received a raised eyebrow from Ben and a eye roll from the alien Plumber who decided to set the record straight, "I think you are talking about the Plumbiers they haven't been active sense contact sense the so called roswell incident when they slowly integrated into the Plumbers officially."
"Seriously Gwen Grandpa Max told us about the Plumber's history near the end of our summer vacation," Ben reminded her only for Gwen to wince at that.
"Yeah I kinda… wasn't listening when Grandpa Max told us that." Gwen admitted feeling a bit embarrassed by her younger self for a moment.
"Wait Grandpa Max? As in Max Tennyson, he's your Grandfather? I was helping him with a case but he went missing," A sudden realization came over him, "You're the legendary Gwen Tennyson."
"I guess so," Gwen gave a shrug as he said those words she didn't really think herself as someone of legend. Well she did years ago but looking on outside of defeating Vilgax their wasn't much more of notice. All her heroism were more of forgotten at this point in the collective consciousness of the world with most of it being unknown to the world at large. It may have crushed her ten and eleven year old ego a bit but over time she came to accept it.
"I thought you were just some kid that snatched it from the Rust Bucket I guess I owe you an apology." The Alien's mood had lighten up a bit, "If you get me out of this thing maybe we can find your granddad together." He offered as the two cousins had a smile on their faces at this. Gwen gave Ben a nod and he set him down setting him free.
With the misunderstanding out of the way, Gwen looked at the Omnitrix one last time as her mind raced over what to do with it. Almost sensing what she was thinking Ben asked her one last time, "You sure about this?" To tell the truth she wasn't sure about putting on the Omnitrix but if their grandpa Max needed their help their was only one thing she could do.
She placed the Omnitrix over her left wrist and sealed it over as the device locked itself into place attaching itself on her skin itself as it did. Ben closed his eyes at this Gwen turned around to him her arm raised and a determined look on her face, "I'm sure."
Julie hid behind a metal crate in the abandoned Train station, according to her grandfather's notes something was supposed to go down around here. It seemed he had caught wind of a shipment between the Forever Knights and some unknown supplier looking to trade with them for alien technology. She held her blaster at the ready as she waited for the moment to strike.
Unknown to her she wasn't the only ones sticking out. On the other side of the train station Ben, Gwen and Magistar Labrid head behind crate's themselves. "So what are we doing here?" Gwen asked wondering why the Magistar wanted them to come here.
"Steak out," He answered before he started to explain why, "I got a tip from your grandfather, the Forever Knights a group of criminals-"
Gwen decided to fill in as she knew what was going on, "Who trade in Alien technology, I knowwe've run up against them before."
Labrid nodded in acknowledgement, "They're supposed to show up tonight to receive a shipment of illegal alien tech."
"Who are they getting it from?" Gwen questioned.
"Don't know Max disappeared before he could tell me," The sound of an engine caught their attention, "Wait something's coming." The three of the quited down as trucks came down one red the other green stopping right in from of each other before a green and black striped muscle car drove up. Julie from her hiding spot turned on her visor's targeting systems.
As it stopped his driver got out revealing a tall and muscular young man, with black hair styled into a choppy mullet, dark brown eyes, and pale skin wearing a tight black T-shirt over a grey long sleeve shirt, blue pants, and black combat shoes. Both Gwen and Ben had shocked looks on their faces as they realized just who this was, "No way Kevin." Ben spoke with disbelief.
"You know him?" Labrid asked, truth be told he thought he looked familiar from somewhere.
"That's Kevin Levin, we fought each other all the time as kids, he has superpowers." Gwen answered.
"Last we saw him we had trapped him in the Null Void." Ben added.
Kevin looked between the figures from both trucks as the ones with clocks over their bodies handed him a suitcase which Kevin opened up a smile on his face for a moment before turning to the supplier's saying, "Money's here." The suppliers nodded as one of them pulled out a cart with metal boxes.
Julie watched the broker as she tapped on the vizor setting up targets. Her instincts told her to jump in and break it up but she pushed those feelings aside. The last time she had gone in without a plan of attack almost didn't end well. Sure her suit offered her enchanted agility, and reflexes but it wasn't great at being armor as she came to realize.
Kevin opened one of the boxes pulling out a alien rifle to show the buyers before he began his showcase, "As promised four dozen factory new Laser Lances," He showed it before getting into the details, "Ether point energy module, intine focus emitter, it's good for thirty five minutes of continuous fire at point six terrawatts." Kevin walked over and pointed the blaster at a old car, "Is that good?" He fired the weapon which started to metal the before causing the car to explode its energy erupting, "You tell me."
"That's Level Five Technology! Earth is only level two!" Labrid exclaimed half yelling. Technically Earth did have level three, level four and a bit of level five technology but it was in its crudest forms. This was something that however wasn't makeable by earth's standards.
"Hey what happened to whispering?" Gwen questioned but Labrid seemed too upset so he decided to drop it. Labrid started to make his move with Ben and Gwen falling behind.
Julie had slipped down almost ready to pounce when heard Labrid speak noticing the Plumber with his weapon drawn and his badge out, "Hands above your head air breathings, under the authority of the Plumber's you are all under arrest." Next to have Gwen and Ben walked up while Julie just looked in shock at seeing the boy she had spoken too with the Plumber.
'So it really is his grandfather…' She thought to herself. The suppliers looked at the Plumber before removing their ID masks revealing them to be the same creatures that had attacked Gwen hours ago. The three of them gave streaks in agreement at this before walking up to them.
"That's so disturbing." Gwen commented at the look look of them of them.
"I know right." Ben added as the creatures got closer.
"Back, or I'll use this." Labrid warned firing his pistol into the ground setting it ablaze right in front of them. The DNAliens walked back in part afraid of the flame and the pistol.
"So now what?" Ben asked Labrid as the three of them stood close together.
"Stand off."
Gwen turned around and unfortunately had to state the bad news, "Umm I don't think so the other guys are behind us." They turned around to see the Forever Knights suiting up with the Laser lances in hand as they closed in. The DNAliens growled as they started to circle the flames.
Ben had only one thing to say about on their predicament, "We are so toast."
Gwen had a determined look in her eyes as she heard those words, "No we're not." Activating the Omnitrix its core popped out as Gwen yelled out before she slammed her hand on it, "It's hero time!" When she did nothing happened but the Omnitrix beeping. When she brought her hand up she saw as the Omnitrix had a blue hourglass on it instead of the usual pink. Gwen twisted the dial as only a beeping sound came as the Omnitrix seemed to rebooting. Gwen mumbled to herself at this, "Not the best time to reboot Omnitrix." Gwenalmost frantically tried to get it to work as the fire disappeared allowing the DNAliens to advance.
Seeing how his cousin didn't seem to be of use Ben summoned up two balls of green energy. "Need a hand?" A voice asked as Julie jumped down firing off to the side pushing the DNAliens back.
To say Gwen wasn't expecting this was a bit of a understatement, "Wait… Julie?" She asked remembering her name.
"A friend of yours?" Ben asked as the Asian girl wearing the armor like suit.
"Well we kinda just meet today so…" Julie was about to finish as the Forever Knights started blasting. Ben raised a shield on instinct as Julie fire around it. The DNAliens tried to make as move as Labrid shot near them slowing two of them before a third went for Gwen with it's claws.
Gwen rolled out of the way before running with the creature right behind her tapping at the Omnitrix to get it to work, "Come on, come on." Gwen slightly cursed her luck at this and wondered if the Omnitrix really did have it out for her.
Labrid was about to go after her but was stopped as a DNAlien shot out from it's tentacle mouths a ball of yellow slime covering his pistols before shooting another at his shoulder. Two others joined in covering him slowly up. On the other side Ben and Julie fired a back and further with the Forever Knights. Each time breaking his shield Julie offered coving fired before Ben formed a new one blasting back.
Gwen ducked around as a ball of slime went after her jumping over a wooden crate as the DNAlien followed from behind. Gwen stopped a bunch of steel beams held up and thinking quickly knocked them over burying his casher under it's weight. With that out of the way she went back trying to get the Omnitrix to work again.
With the last of the Forever Knights dealt with Ben found himself unable to take a step as yellow slime from the DNAliens held him in place. The DNAliens started firing slime at both him and Julie having been done with Labrid. Julie's suit helped her jump out of the way backflipping as she did so while they keep firing slime forming her to dodge until she landed into one of the slime piles almost tripping over.
Gwen's frantic attempts to get the Omnitrix to work stopped as she heard it beeping loudly before in a flash of pink light it changed morphing from the bracelet like form into something more resembling a actual watch. "It's never done that before," She tapped the sides as a holographic image of an unknown form popped up, the Omnitrix's, unknown to Gwen, internal AI having rebooted itself randomized it's DNA lists and settled on ten new aliens forms for her to use.
She turned the dial as holograms of aliens appeared before her, "I don't recognize any of them but under the circumstances," she stopped at one that caught his eye, "This one looks pretty good." She slammed down on the Omnitrix and in a pink flash her DNA was rewritten as it died down Gwen had been transformed into a humanoid, plant-like alien that was overall green and black colored body, with a flame-patterned head and root-like feet, seemingly holding what could be mistaken for rocks. Her eyes were oval shaped with points at each end with pupils copying the shape but are smaller. Also on her shoulders and head were red petals while her elbows and legs have green frills sticking out. Finally she was wearing the Omnitrix symbol on her chest.
"Swampfire!" The newly named Swampfire called out her voice nasally given she had no nose to speak of. However she could still sense smells as she detected a foul smelling odor coming from, "Eww what's that smell?" She looked around but the only source was herself , "It's me?" Rather than comment on this Swampfire walked up to the DNAliens holding Labrid, Julie, and Gwen captive. "Get away from my friends," Swampfire threatened the DNAliens. Three of the tried to rush them but Swampfire delivered a powerful punch to each of them knocking them aside and unconscious. The rest decided to cut their loses and raced into their truck to drive out.
Swampfire wanting none of that ripped a post out of the ground and smashed into the side of their truck knocking it over. "I forgot how fun that was." She commented feeling nostalgic for a moment before a laser blast caught her attention as the Forever Knights started to blast her most of it going right though, "Hey that kinda tickles." One of the blasts cut though her arm severing it from her body. A vine reached out of the fallen limb before it reached out to the stump brings it back and healed itself like nothing had ever happened.
A cocky smile was seen on Swampfire's face at this. They couldn't hurt him, well not permanently and she had super strength. "You guys are so screwed." Swampfire stated in a matter of fact tone before she went to lay the smackdown on them punching one though a crate and another into the rest of the fleeing knights.
Kevin choose now to dropped in front of him. "Hey Tennyson!" He yelled a bit of anger in his tone.
"What do you want Kevin?" Swampfire asked not really in the mood to fight him.
"Let's see how about the fact you trapped me in the Null Void for all those years?" Kevin answered somewhat sarcastically.
"You did that to yourself," Swampfire countered but Kevin wasn't going to hear that.
"And you ruined my deal, so I'm thinking I want revenge." Kevin leaned down to the rail tracks pouching them as his body was soon covered in the metal from head to toe, "The good news is since I can absorb almost anything I have more then enough power to take it."
Swampfire wasn't expecting that Kevin could absorb the metal and was actually pretty surprised by this, "That's new." The two of them moved up as they both throw a punch Kevin dodged the plant-like aliens ist and forced his own into Swampfire's gut coming out the other side but all it was but a minor annoyance to the plant alien who brought its hands down smacking the sides of Kevin's head before kicking him into one of the large shipping cars.
Kevin lifted up the car into the air tossing it at Swampfire similarly crushing him under it her. Kevin walked up the the car boasting about his accomplishment, "And that's what happens when you mess with me!" Unknown to him a vine shot out from the ground before forming into Swampfire.
"Peekaboo." Swampfire said causing Kevin to turn around in surprise before being meet with two punches to the face sending him flying into another train car. He picked it up over his head struggling a bit at the weight over him with his enhanced steel strength. Flames busted to life in Swampfire's hands before blasting the car causing a small burst of heat akin to an explosion which knock Kevin back into the ground. She tried to get back up bit couldn't and fell unconscious the steel covering his body disappearing as he did.
Kevin awoke with a ground with Labrid, Julie, Gwen, and Swampfire who turned back into Gwen all looking down at him. He tried to free his hands to absorb the ground but he sound he couldn't move his hands. "What they…" He pulled them up to see them surrounded in a blue energy.
"Energy police cuffs, you can't absorb anything cause their ain't nothing to absorb including the cuffs themselves." Labrid explained to Kevin.
"Hey ahh you still have some of that slime in your hair," Ben was about to check his right side before Julie clarified, "Other side."
Ben checked there and felt the slime pulling his hair out to see the left side covered with it. Having a gross look on his face at this. "Alright time to talk tough guy," Labrid pulled out the energy cell from a discarded laser lance, "These things run on ether point energy cell a technology way to advance for humans to make, in fact they shouldn't even be on this planet."
"So why is that my problem?" Kevin asked annoyed by this. Shouldn't they just chuck him back into the null void and be done with this?
"I caught sight of the Forever Knights leaving with a shipment of them as I got myself free, we're hoping you knew where they're held up." Julie explained as Kevin didn't seem to speak nor did he seem to care.
Gwen placed her hand on his shoulder as she spoke to him with a calm tone, "Please Kevin a lot of people could get hurt." Kevin's face soften at her words as he thought about it.
"You're in a lot of trouble son, I'm giving a chance to help yourself here."
You don't have to convince me those guys ran off before I got paid I'm happy to help find those deadbeats." Julie rolled her eyes at Kevin's words but figured it might be the best they can get.
"Alright now one more thing," Labrid turned to Julie, "While I'm grateful for your help, you have some explaining about the suit if I didn't know any better it's seems to be a bit costume made from alien technology."
"Oh right you see I'm looking for my grandpa he went missing and all I found was a note telling me to find the suit he made and well this," Julie pulled out the note to hand to Labrid.
"Your grandfather… he wouldn't happen to be Victor Vallis would he?" Labrid questioned as Julie gave a nod.
"Yes he is you knew him?" Julie asked her grandfather didn't talk much about his time as a Plumber.
"Not practically no, not much stood out save his tedious to play around with technology, made a lot of unofficial changes to his Plumbers gear the only real thing that stood out was his conspiracy theory about something going on in the Plumbers themselves after awhile his paranoia got so much that he was discharged."
Julie had a sigh at hearing that. The last part sure sounded like her grandfather. He was and still is a bit paranoid about something and she wouldn't be surprised if he had bugged her house with lasers in case of intruders. 'Seriously why would he think that something wrong was going on in the Plumbers?.