The Rust Bucket has stopped on a desert road, at an ice cream parlor. While Ben and Gwen are getting ice cream, Max uses the local ATM to get a bit more cash in his pocket. Soon enough, a dirty red pickup truck pulls up to the same spot, and a big burly man walks up to Max.
Max turns around and the burly man grabs him by the collar. "Outta the way, 'Grandpa'. I got a major withdrawal to make!" He commanded. He shoves Max to the ground. Max looks up and sees a buck-toothed man in front of him smiling; who seems to be the other man's associate.
'Can't have one day without trouble, can I?' Max asked himself.
In the parlor, the kids are choosing their ice cream. A frowning old man is serving them. Gwen seems to be looking over her options, but can't seem to find what she's looking for.
"Excuse me, what do you have that's non-fat with less than 3% sugar?" Gwen asked.
The old man groaned. "We got napkins!" The old man then turned his attention to Ben, who was trying to decide what he wanted. "What about you, kid?" The old man asked.
Ben opens his mouth, but doesn't have time to get his order out, getting interrupted by the sound of a large chain. He looks out the window and sees the burly man walking to the ATM with a chained metal hook, and Grandpa on the ground.
Ben gritted his teeth, then smirked as he turned back to the old man. "I'll take a rocky road, please. But, I'll be right back." Ben requested.
He ran out of the parlor and ran behind the parlor as he primed the Omnitrix. Ben slams down on the alien he chose, only for a big jagged shadow to be cast on the whole area, the sound of metal shifting around was enough to cause serious pain to anyone's ears within range.
Outside, the burly man digs the hook into the ATM and yells to his associate in the pickup. "Hit it!" The burly man instructed. The buck-toothed man tries pumping the gas, but nothing happens. Suddenly, the wheel shakes violently in his hands and the entire dashboard starts to go completely insane, everything rising and lowering, the volume on the radio maxes the volume, then goes mute in a nanosecond. Then, it all stops right then and there.
Before the buck-toothed man can try to comprehend what just happened, he's suddenly ejected from the driver's seat as the truck begins to violently shake once more. The tires spin out and burst, sending pieces of rubber out in numerous directions. Both of the men were shocked to see the truck suddenly break down and get out of control in such a manner, but it's not until a large shadow is cast over them.
The figure was definitely big, to say the least. It towered above them, standing at a whopping thirteen-feet. It seemed to be comprised of several million jagged pieces of rock and metal, all while two relatively small green eyes stared down at the men. The alien turned towards the road, noticing a muscle car, as well as a police cruiser parked nearby, with a cop and a civilian staring on at the metal goliath.
Soon enough, parts of the creature shifted, molding and fitting into place as the creature kept its attention on the men that tried to take an entire ATM. The creature now looked to be, almost an amalgamation of pieces.
The figure was now a large dark-blue and white robotic humanoid with bronze, black and white trimmings all over his body, white upper arms and legs, dark-blue mask on his face, a fully green screen that acted as his eyes, bronze exhaust pipes sticking out of his arms, and tires on his shoulders and legs. He bears a large white Omnitrix logo on his entire torso with the real one being dead center in the middle.
The large robotic figure pointed to the men, who were practically scared beyond reasonable levels. They screamed and attempted to get away, until the figure holds its left hand out, creating a bronze hook and chain as he thrust it downwards, binding the two men together, trapping them without much hassle.
After the police officer takes the two men into custody, and the Tennysons got far enough for Ben to wait and turn back to normal, the Rust Bucket continues driving through the barren desert.
"Look, I'm not saying I got a problem with Aunt Vera, really. I just, don't know her that well. She knows me, but I don't know her. Besides, she lives farther away than I initially thought." Ben rationalized.
Gwen rolled her eyes and continued reading a magazine as she ate some kind of pink and purple colored sherbet-like substance from a small glass bowl. "Well, when Aunt Vera said she wanted to "move away from it all", she really meant it! And after putting up with you for a few years, I don't blame her." Gwen took another bite of her desert as she leered at her cousin. "Plus, I actually like seeing Aunt Vera! She's a sweet lady." Gwen stated.
Ben frowned at the statement. "Don't put words in my mouth! All I said was that I didn't know her that well, never said I didn't like her." Ben remarked.
Gwen rolled her eyes and finished off her dessert. "Nice to know I really am the normal one in this family, unlike you, freakazoid." Gwen remarks.
Ben sneered at that remark and nearly went through with jumping over the table, until he felt that same feeling in his stomach again. Ben took a deep breath and stayed in his seat, wishing he knew what this odd feeling was.
On someone's lawn, an old woman speaks with an elderly man, most likely a neighbor of hers. She seems nervous, but also fairly excited.
"D'oh, it's been years since I've seen Max and the kids! I'm not sure I'll even recognize them!" The woman happily said. She was a much slimmer lady, though she did have some resemblance to Max in body type and face shape. She wore a pink and purple shirt, a pearl necklace, and some round earrings. She had white hair that cascaded down to her neck. She looked towards the man she was talking to. "Stop by and say hello, Marty." the lady gestured.
Marty, looked to be a frail elderly man. He had gray hair, gray eyes, wears glasses closer to his nose, he also has warts on his head near his hair. He wore a gray shirt and brown pants, as well as wore a brown watch on his right wrist. He smiled contentedly at the lady, waving for a brief moment. "I'd like that, Vera." Marty replied, walking back into his home.
Marty closes his front door, and then his blinds. Marty finds his way to the couch and turns a TV on, putting a scary movie on as he gets a bowl of snacks next to him. Before Marty knew what hit him, he felt something abnormally slimy and cold on his hand. Marty looks down and gasps, his eyes widen as a sentient green glob of liquid suddenly slithers up his arm.
"A-Ah! Vera, help me-!" Marty couldn't shout loud enough, or fast enough as the glob jumps to his face, muffling his cries. Marty struggles, but it's not enough. Marty trips over his coffee table, then falls in front of the TV, the unsettling squelching and stretching of the goo overwhelms him as he slowly goes limp.
The Rust Bucket finally enters Vera's retirement village. It drives past old folks' homes and some people out on the sidewalk.
"Well, this place looks..." Ben looked out the window, seeing a fairly normal neighborhood. The sun shined as a few people looked at him and waved. "...peaceful." Ben commented.
Before Ben could look away and go back to getting comfortable in his seat, he sees an old man climbing on his roof, trying to reach his satellite, but starts slipping down. Instead of falling off, he makes an expert Olympic-level backflip off the roof and lands safely on the ground, just as the Rust Bucket passes by. Ben is astonished, flabbergasted, straight up confused by what he just witnessed.
Ben opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't seem to find the words. Ben didn't know if his grandfather or his cousin would believe him, but even then, he wasn't sure if that even happened. Ben blinked his eyes and slumped back in his seat, looking tired.
'Must be the summer heat, it's getting to me.' Ben thought to himself.
The trio have arrived at Vera's. Ben is the first to step out; he holds his hand up against the glaring sun, immediately bombarded by the sudden rise in temperature. Several beads of sweat roll down his face as he tries to hide himself in the shade.
"Seriously, when did it get soooo hot? Wasn't it supposed to be like, seventy-three today!" Before Ben could go back into the air-conditioned RV, Gwen walks behind him and surprises him by spraying a water gun. "Hey, I wasn't ready!"
She laughs and runs away. Instead of running after her, Marty's window catches Ben's eye. Marty is looking at him through it. Maybe it was the heat messing with Ben, but he could've sworn that Marty's eyes looked a bit sunken in. He hisses at Ben, cracks his neck in all directions, and shuts the blinds on him.
Ben looks around and notices Max, seeming a bit unnerved as he looks at Marty's window, now obscured by the blinds. "Grandpa, I don't think they like me." Ben remarked.
Max sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I know what you mean, coulda sworn I saw an old man do a fantastic flip off of his roof before we stopped." Max stated.
Ben's eyes widened a bit, something Max noticed and it confirmed it for the both of them, that something didn't seem right in his retirement village. Max leaned down and whispered into his grandson's ear. "Be careful, Ben. We both can tell something's not right, Marty's usually a nice guy, and that neck thing was just a bit much." Max cautioned.
"Should we tell Gwen or-"
"No," Max interrupted. Ben pulled away, then looked towards Vera and Gwen, who went inside the house. Max straightens up and sighs. "She needs this one normal interaction, Ben. Things haven't exactly been right as rain for the past few days. You found an alien device that can turn you into ten different aliens, which was already a bit worrisome, there was Hex and his niece, then there was Shaw, Friends of Fish and the Zapfish, this already sounds like another problem, just waiting to spring up, like a weed in a garden."
Ben looked back at Marty's window, noticing some slight disturbance amongst the blinds. "So what do we do?" Ben asked.
Max sighed, rubbing the back of his head and wiping the sweat out of his eyes. "First off, let's get out of this heat, better to not make Gwen or Vera suspicious, or worried that something's wrong. Second off, we might need to look around. If something seems remotely unnatural, even just by a fair bit, you need to scope out the situation. If something don't seem normal, you come back here and tell me. Don't take matters into your own hands, Ben. Do you understand?" Max asked.
Ben nodded and the both of them walked inside Vera's home. Unbeknownst to them, 'Marty' was still watching them, sneering.
Max closes the door behind him as he walks over to hug Vera. "Ahh, it's been so long. Good to see you, Maxy!" Vera cheered.
Max let Vera go as she pinched his cheeks, smiling as she finally stopped. "Well, it's been a dog's age since I last saw you, figured it'd be just as good to bring the kids to see you too." Max said, rubbing his face.
Gwen slowly stepped back as Vera walked towards Ben, pinching his cheeks. "I can't believe you're finally here! And look at you two, so grown up!" Vera continued to pinch at Ben's cheeks till she finally stopped. Ben's face stung for a minute. "Oh! That reminds me, lunch is ready! I can't wait to chew the fat with all of you." Vera said with delight.
Ben took a deep breath, and was met with a rather strange smell meeting his nostrils. "Somebody cookin' gym socks, or something?" Ben asked, a confused expression formed on his face.
The Tennysons sit down at the table, only to be met with an abnormal sight. Apparently, Vera's lunch was a giant orange gelatin mold with brown and white bits. It sits on a plate, continuously wiggling. Gwen was a bit hesitant from just looking at it, Max seemed like he was excited to eat, and Ben was grossed out.
Ben and Gwen got a good spoonful of the stuff, and managed to swallow it down, even if the taste left almost too much to be desired. Max, on the other hand, seemed pretty delighted with the meal. "Ooh, Vera, this is delicious! Now, what are these brown chunks in the mold?" Max asked.
"Porkchops, and the white chunks are cauliflower!" Ben and Gwen shared a glance at each other, the pair of them were not too keen on eating much more, but Ben knew he couldn't raise suspicion, so he hesitated to go through with taking another bite. "So, Ben, what have you been doing so far this summer?" Vera asked.
Ben swallowed down the gelatinous concoction and sighed. "Dealing with alien life forms, and stopping bad guys," Ben bluntly stated. " I'm surprisingly good at it."
Vera chuckled. "Ohoho, you! Classic Ben, always wanting to save the day, like those fellas in your comic books!" Vera commented.
Gwen notices Vera's shelf and gets up from the table to see. Various frames and trinkets are on the bottom shelves, but the top shelf holds many taxidermied birds of different species. "Aunt Vera, is that a Stuffed Red-Billed North American Chickadee?" Gwen asked.
Vera gasped, a wide smile forms on her face as she rushes over. "How perceptive, Gwen! And did you know the song of the Red-Billed North American Chickadee is actually-"
"-a call indicating alarm or excitement! Brrrrrr!" They both rolled their tongues as they let out a high-pitched warble or trill.
Ben, while they were distracted, moves his slice of mold onto Max's plate. "Well, I'm a bit stuffed. Nice meal, but I'm gonna lay down a while." Ben remarked.
Vera approached Ben, with a bowl full of small brown pieces. "Ben, would you like a piece of candy before you do?" Vera offered.
Ben grabbed two pieces and popped one into his mouth. Ben could immediately taste the flavor of coffee, and while it wasn't something he was used to, he decided to tough it out. Besides, there was a bit of sweetness to it, so it wasn't a total loss. "Coffee candy. Not what I had in mind, but it's not bad." Ben stated, heading for the front door as he pocketed the other piece.
Ben walks out the front door and goes into the Rust Bucket, lying down on his bed as he chewed on the coffee-flavored candy. "Well, this isn't as bad as I expected, just wish there was something to do." Ben told himself.
Before Ben could try to unwind for the afternoon, he heard some kind of noise. He assumed it must've been someone just working on whatever it is old people work on in the blistering heat. Then, the noise rang out again. Ben got up and looked at Marty's home, noticing the garage opening up. Ben ducked down so he couldn't be seen, only to peer his head out and see 'Marty', driving a golf-cart down the road with a huge rolled up rug tied to the back.
"And I just found something to do." Ben remarked.
Ben went into the Rust Bucket's bathroom and closed the door. He primes the Omnitrix and turns it to an icon of some sort of human-shaped figure. He pushes down on the Omnitrix, enveloping the entire room in a flash of green light.
Within the void, Ben's skin begins to get pale, only for it to suddenly become a pale teal-ish color. His body bulked up, yet felt light as a feather. His hair became wispier, changing from brown to a faded and saturated blue-gray color. Strange black markings formed on his eyes, and his eyes were encompassed in red, with only bright red slit pupils in the midst of them. His shirt formed into some kind of suit, it had a white stripe on each short sleeve, with most of the top portion becoming black. The bottom portion became purely white, with blue detailing on the sides of his torso. He felt his pants and legs form into a wispy blue-gray tail, all while black gloves with white cuffs formed on his wrist. The Omnitrix's badge remained on the same wrist, but was white instead of the usual green.
The flash of light dies down, and the strange spectre, which bore a strange resemblance to Ben's human form, just with a few drastic alterations, turned himself see through, moving through the wall of the bathroom, and began to trail 'Marty'.
"For once, thank you stupid watch for giving me Knosoul." The spectre remarked. He sounded a fair bit like Ben too, but his voice was deeper, almost sounding sinister with every word, and almost had a refined quality to it.
Knosoul flies around, keeping a close eye on 'Marty'. All the while, he felt a pair of eyes on him. The spectre whipped around, only to find an old couple, just casually minding their own business.
Knosoul blinked his eyes, and groaned as a scowl formed on his face. "I'm ten years old and paranoid, charming..." Knosoul turned back around and noticed 'Marty' pulling over on the side of the road, almost seeming as if he's trying to stretch. Knosoul flew in and attempted to make contact, till a very sweet smell caught his attention. Knosoul looked at the house the aroma was coming from, then back at 'Marty'. He stifled a groan and slowly moved towards the house. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a piece of whatever this is, as long as I'm quick about it." Knosoul rationalized.
The spectre reached a window-sill, seeing a pie outside it. It smelled of apples and cinnamon, and it only intrigued the ghostly entity. "Mmh! Apple Pie!" Knosoul reached out to it, until he caught a glimpse of the cook. An old lady was trying to swat a fly in a room. The fly rises above her fly-swatter's reach and lands upside down on the ceiling. Knosoul decided to leave, but before he did, he saw the lady spring up onto the ceiling, and then eat the fly in one quick bite. The moment she lands, she cracks her neck in a very strange, abnormal fashion, almost in the same manner as how 'Marty' cracked his neck.
Knosoul felt as if he didn't have a stomach, yet he felt it churning. He immediately left the window-sill and tried to steady his nerves. "Eugh! No way! Ninja old folks!" Knosoul told himself. The sound of the cart starting up caught his attention, 'Marty' was driving the golf cart again, only this time, the rug seemed to be squirming.
Knosoul was about to investigate further, until something of later importance happened. As 'Marty' passed by the fly lady's house, her automatic sprinkler system activated. 'Marty' freaks out at the sight of the sprinkler and swerves the cart around it, to the point of breaking a sweat. He drives faster, carrying the rolled-up rug behind him in the cart as it continued to squirm. Knosoul raised an eyebrow and continued to follow behind. "Now what's 'Mr. Friendly' up to..." Knosoul pondered.
'Marty' & Knosoul arrive at a gated-off dumpster site. 'Marty' stretches his legs beyond human capability and carries the rolled-up rug over the fence gate. Knosoul was clearly invested by this point, and knew he had to go. With everything he saw up till 'Marty' stretched his legs like rubber, he knew there was something off. Knosoul made out like a bat out of hell, escaping the scene as he looks at the Omnitrix, knowing it might turn him back at any point. "Better to tell Grandpa about this now, rather than risk getting caught." Knosoul cautioned.
Knosoul was beginning to make some serious headway back to Vera's, but that soon changed when he passed the fly lady's home again. The fly lady was walking past the sprinklers until a couple of stray drops landed on her hand, causing it to melt and slightly deform into that strange goo. She hissed, her normal teeth became sharp and jagged, and red in color. Knosoul's eyes widened, only to see a white arm and hand pass through him at a very fast pace. The spectre turned around and saw 'Marty', who was gritting his teeth and smirking.
"It would appear that I wasn't as stealthy as I had hoped..." Knosoul remarked. He balled his hands into fists, letting a dark red energy form in his palms and around his hands. The fly lady morphed her arms into blades and swung at Knosoul, only for her attacks to go right through him, seeming confused.
Knosoul went from being surprised, to looking as if he just found out he was a fool who did things the hard way. "Right, they can't touch me..." Knosoul then let a wicked smirk form on his face, showing off a few incredibly sharp canines that glistened in the sun's rays. "But that's good news for me, not so good news for you, though. I know I should respect my elders, but I feel as if you're not who you say you are." Knosoul warned.
'Marty' roared out, his own teeth becoming red and sharp as he continued to try and hurt the ghost. His fists constantly phased right through him, but Knosoul rushed in, his hands cloaked in energy. He smacked 'Marty' with a right hook, and let his wispy tail form into legs. He wore a pair of black pants with very minor white detailing, and big white boots. "Like my boots, lady? Cause they weren't meant for walking!" Knosoul then lunged backwards, jamming both of his feet into the fly lady's face. She was sent careening back into her home, but that didn't stop 'Marty' from attempting one more hit.
While it did connect, Knosoul just flashed another wicked grin at the suddenly spry old man. Knosoul took a long pause, then phased himself into 'Marty'. He was struggling to get the strange ghost man out of him, but soon enough, 'Marty' stopped moving, and his eyes became the same red color as Knosoul's. Soon enough, 'Marty' began to punch and do damage to himself, only to be more surprised when bits of green goo would come flying off. Eventually, Knosoul left 'Marty' and his body, only to soon notice the ghostly threat had vanished.
'Marty' looked at the fly lady, who had just recovered from the sudden crash landing. They both growled and let out a gurgling noise, then retreated to the golf-cart, driving away.
At sundown, Ben finally gets back to Vera's. He rushes to Grandpa Max, in the kitchen. "Grandpa, I gotta tell you something!" Ben exclaimed.
"Shhh, your Aunt Vera's in bed! Gwen went to take a quick nap, too," Max saw that Ben looked worn out, almost as if he just got out of a fight. "Benjamin, what happened?" Max asked sternly.
"I was investigating, and I found out something big, grandpa." Ben bluntly answered.
Max took a moment to consider that answer, then led him to the sofa, where the both of them sat down. "What'd you find out, son?" Max asked quietly.
Ben took a deep breath and thought about the past few events carefully. Ben sighed and started slowly. "This whole place is way creepier than I thought. First of all, that guy who slid off his roof and backflipped, I thought it was the heat messing with me. Then you told me about Marty, and how he's supposedly a nice guy, but that Marty we saw was just some angry old jerk. I decided to take a rest, but I heard some noises from Marty's place, then saw him leave with a rolled up rug, so I turned into Knosoul and followed him," Ben got a glass of water and tried to steady himself.
"Take it slow, Ben, what happened next?" Max asked.
Ben gulped down a fourth of the glass before he finally steadied himself. "I was following Marty for a good few blocks till he stopped and stretched. Then, I saw an apple pie in a window-sill, and the one who made it was this old lady, who runs up a wall, and then munches on a fly! Then Marty, that weird next door neighbor, he has some kind of panicked reaction to when the sprinklers go off, almost as if he thought the water would melt him, or something! At some point, I manage to follow him to what looked like a trap door, hidden underneath some dumpsters. I also noticed that the rug he was hauling off, it was squirming, grandpa. Someone or something was being hauled off and hidden awa-"
Ben stopped mid sentence, looking at the hallway. Max looked where Ben was looking, only to go wide-eyed himself. Vera and Gwen were listening in, confused as to what was going on. "Maxy? Is there something you're not telling me?" Vera asked, concern written all over her face.
Gwen on the other hand, she was confused, but she was more irritated. "Ben, don't tell me you went and stuck your nose where it didn't belong." Gwen remarked.
Max got up and slowly approached Vera, looking a bit saddened, or ashamed. It most likely could've been both those feelings, and brought Vera into an embrace. "Vera, listen to me... Activity has been, how you say, 'acting up' as of recently. Ben saw something and it just spooked him is all, nothing to worry about. I'm just gonna check things out and I'll be back before midnight. If I'm not... don't go outside alone, take the kids with you." Max whispered.
Gwen stared her cousin down, who seemed a bit put-off by the situation. Soon enough, Ben got an idea, just as a way to keep himself calm. He dipped his fingers in the water and flicked it at Gwen, who recoiled. "Have you snapped your cap, Tennyson?!" Gwen angrily asked. Ben watched the water, and for a moment, it didn't cause her to melt or deform. Ben seemed satisfied with this, and then did the same thing to Vera, getting the same result.
Max was a bit confused by his grandson's actions, till he remembered the way Ben phrased Marty's reaction to the sprinklers going off. "Water, that's their weakness, isn't it?" Max asked.
Ben nodded. "I had to make sure they didn't get swapped with... whatever we're dealing with." Ben explained.
Gwen was surprised, and a bit impressed by Ben's precautionary actions. "You're using your brain and being careful, are you really my cousin?" Gwen asked.
Ben looked unamused and pointed to the water on his fingers. "My fingers would be a slimy snotty goo if I wasn't. I think I made the right call with going Knosoul, they couldn't touch me. Marty got one lucky hit in, but I thought the fight was already over anyway." Ben remarked.
Vera was in-shock, but it was a familiar type of shock. Vera silently nodded and walked over to her shelf, and pulled a book about, one that seemed to be a scrapbook. "Max, why don't you and Ben go out and see if you can solve this? I'll keep Gwen company and make sure nothing unscrupulous happens tonight, okay?" Vera suggested, a warm but concerned smile forming on her face.
Max looked at Ben, then at the watch, which was still in the red. It was a risky move bringing Ben along, so he made the decision. "No, I'd like to know Ben is safe. If something does happen, then I know he'll be able to handle it when I'm not here." Max reaffirmed.
Max walked to the front door and looked back at his sister, then his grandkids. "You two sleep well. I'll be back soon," Max opened the front door and smiled. "But once I'm back, we'll check things out again. Now get some rest, you'll need it." Max states, walking out of the house and closing the front door behind him.
Ben tried to reach out, but Max was already gone. The sound of the Rust Bucket's engine starting was enough indication that he'd probably be fine, but Ben could feel it in his gut, something wasn't right. "I... I'm gonna turn in for the night, it's been a long day." Ben stated. Ben began walking to his room, until he felt a hand on his shoulder, revealing it to be Vera's.
Vera looked solemn, yet mustered the strength to form a smile. "Ben, why don't I tell you and your cousin, something about your grandfather." Vera suggested.
Ben raised an eyebrow at this, and seemed a bit confused. "What kind of something?" Ben asked.
Vera walked over to the couch, where she and the two cousins sat. She held the scrapbook in her hands, and wiped some of the dust off, revealing the same strange badge that Captain Shaw had on him. "The important kind of something." Vera stated.
Vera opened the scrapbook and revealed tons of important papers, newspaper clippings about weird happenings, even revealing some pictures of Max when he was, admittedly, much younger, some of the pictures even show him in his early teens. Ben and Gwen were rather surprised, but also amazed by the photos. There were several photos of Max fighting some kind of tribal armor-clad alien, dressed to the nines in weapons, even fighting some of Nightstalker's race, who definitely seemed like a nasty bunch. There was even a group photo of Max, somewhere in his near early-twenties, standing side-by-side with a few other individuals. They were all wearing the same type of suit that Shaw wore when they went after Jonah and Friends of Fish.
Gwen was speechless, but definitely seemed to piece together some information. "I'm guessing this was Grandpa's old days, back when he was a plumber?" Gwen assumed.
Vera was a bit surprised to hear Gwen say that, but she wasn't exactly wrong. "Wh- Y-yeah, how'd you know they were called that, sweetie?" Vera asked.
Gwen cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "We were going after a witch doctor that could mutate animals with magic, and Grandpa said this reminded him exactly of the old days, during his time as a Plumber. He tried to cover it up and make fixing toilets sound more exciting than it was, but he made it sound like there was more to the story. It just kinda made sense to assume they were called that." Gwen explained.
"But we don't know exactly what the plumbers do, let alone why Grandpa didn't tell us." Ben added.
Vera smiled and flipped the page, showing Max standing next to an orange frizzy haired lady, and Vera smiled warmly. "Well, I knew about where Max would disappear off to every now and then, but even to this day, he never told me the truth, well... the whole truth, anyways." Vera said solemnly.
Vera closed the book and put it back on the shelf. "Your grandfather was essentially an officer, only for aliens and other weird monsters, but that's only from what I've seen him do. Maybe when the time is right, he'll tell you the truth. But, for now, let's keep this between us, okay?" Vera asked.
Gwen and Ben nodded, walking to their respective rooms as they turned in for the night. Vera stayed up a little longer, waiting for Max to come back. Little did she know that a small drop of that green goo was inching closer and closer from behind her.
The next morning, Gwen and Ben are up, refreshed and ready to take on the day. Though the information they learned from their aunt Vera, specifically about their grandpa Max and his past was fresh in their minds, they kept themselves busy and focused on keeping Aunt Vera safe.
"So, should we surprise her with breakfast in bed?" Gwen asked.
"As tempting as that is, I'm a bit worried." Ben said worriedly.
"Oh, don't mind your grandfather," Vera's voice spoke out. The two turned around, seeing Aunt Vera walk out of the shadows as she dusts off her dress. "He probably had a rough night."
Ben and Gwen looked at Vera, she let a smile form on her face. Ben could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, something didn't seem right.
"Morning, aunt Vera! How'd you sleep?" Gwen asked, smiling.
Aunt Vera's smile faded, leaving her face emotionless and expressionless. "Just... fine. How 'bout you?" Aunt Vera approaches Ben and she violently grabs and shakes his cheeks.
"Fine, Aunt Vera!" Ben said in a pained tone, rubbing his face with discomfort.
Gwen saw the look on Ben's face, and just tried to stay calm. "Aunt Vera, I made you some coffee, I hope you don't mind." Gwen said. She set a freshly-brewed cup of coffee and a glass of water on a tray, slowly but surely carrying it towards the counter. Before she can set it down, Gwen ends up slipping on something, causing the tray to go flying in Vera's direction, causing both the hot coffee and cold water to splash right onto Vera's face.
Gwen opened her mouth to try and apologize, but the blood-curdling screams, bellows, and gurgling off-pitch screeches of agony and writhing pain definitely signified to Gwen to not say a word. Gwen stayed on the ground, wide-eyed by the sounds.
Ben, on the other hand, grabbed a frying pan and just smacked 'Vera' over the head, causing the pan to reverberate and stun the fake Vera. "That's not Aunt Vera, run Gwen!" Ben exclaimed, tossing the frying pan aside and running to the front door. Gwen ran right after him, the both of them bolting out of the house and down the street.
Fake Vera groaned, letting her teeth change to being red and sharp, and slinked away back into the shadows of the hallway.
Some time later, Ben and Gwen walk through the village, mainly sticking to the alleys and out-of-site paths. Ben and Gwen were a bit terrified, but they tried to keep themselves calm.
Gwen looks behind her, and sees nothing. She sighs and crouches down in-between a couple cardboard boxes. "Ok, so where we headed now, Sherlock?" Gwen asked.
Ben crouched down between a couple dumpsters and trash cans, constantly looking out for any sign of the fake Vera, or the fake Marty. "We need to get to that trapdoor by the dumpster. I saw that fake Marty take a rolled-up squirming rug to it, and if I had to guess, my best guess is that's where the real Marty, and most-likely, the real Aunt Vera is. But, before we do, I do want to try and find grandpa first." Ben explained.
Gwen was about to move, until Ben signaled for her to stop and be quiet. Some old folks walk past the alley they were hiding in, not suspecting a thing. The two of them stay still, waiting for the old folks to walk further away. When they were out of sight, Ben and Gwen got up from their hiding spots and kept moving.
In another part of town, fake Marty and another old man stand shifty-eyed. Fake Vera meets with them, and she's rather agitated, judging by the newly formed deformities on her face that suggest signs of burning and blunt force trauma.
"Is the food supply ready for transport?" She asked through her gritted teeth.
Fake Marty chuckled a little bit, but then composed himself. "The pods are in the final stages of gestation. What about the young ones?" fake Marty asked.
"Too hard to catch, and too chewy! They need to age more before they get nice, slow and tender..." fake Vera stated.
Fake Marty grumbled. "I'm not talking about eating, you glutton! The boy suspects too much, and he has that watch on his wrist, too... Had we'd known the Omnitrix wasn't a legend, but also on this dirtball of a planet, would've made blending in much more effective, and the harvest much faster. The boy is a danger to our plans! Got a plan for that?" Fake Marty remarked.
Fake Vera smiles, shifting her gaze to the Rust Bucket, watching Max prepare a quick meal, none the wiser of the foes that stalk him from the shadows.
Back with Ben and Gwen, the kids continue, now closer to the dumpster site. It was quiet, almost too quiet. They both felt uneasy, and to make matters worse, they haven't seen another elderly person out on the streets for the past five blocks.
Gwen stayed close to Ben, feeling pretty unnerved by the silence, and lack of other people. "Ben, maybe we should turn back. I don't like this." Gwen suggested.
Ben didn't say a word, but he did feel just as uneasy, and just as scared as his cousin, but these things had to be stopped, and only they could do it. They already found out that something strange was going on, and they couldn't just leave, not without their Grandpa Max.
Suddenly, the clattering of a trash can rings out from behind them. Ben and Gwen quickly turn around, and are met with a very dangerous sight. Behind them was a small, but very sizeable mob of those slimy creatures, masquerading as the elderly people. Each one was more discolored, like they were made out of some kind of slimy putty. At the front of the horde, was fake Vera, who formed her arms into scythe-like blades, and let her red-sharp toothy grin spread wide over her face.
Gwen shrieked as Ben readied the Omnitrix, only for the Rust Bucket to peel out behind the horde. the vehicle plowed through and ran over a few of the imposters as it skidded to a stop. Gwen was ecstatic and relieved, seeing Grandpa Max at the wheel, but Ben felt as if something was wrong.
"C'mon kids, we gotta get outta here!" Max shouted.
Gwen moved forward, but Ben stopped her in her tracks. "What about Aunt Vera, and the rest of the elderly folks? We gotta help them!" Ben shouted back.
Max seemed to twitch a bit, but still kept a stoic expression. "I know, Ben, but we need to get weapons. We need water, it's their weakness, remember? And we're in the midst of a desert. We have to get out of town and get water, enough to drown these slimy monsters. Ben, use the Omnitrix to turn into a Pisciss Volann, it'll make things much easier." Max explained.
And just like that, Ben already didn't trust whoever this was, masquerading as his Grandfather. "What did you just call this?" Ben asked, raising the Omnitrix up for his 'grandfather' to see.
Max got out of the Rust Bucket and slowly walked towards the kids. "The Omnitrix, Ben. You know, the watch on your wrist, a legendary device-" The fake Max didn't get to finish that statement till Gwen sprayed him right in the face with her water gun, causing him to recoil, scream, melt and deform.
Ben looked at Gwen, who clutched the water gun in her hands, constantly dousing the fake Max with water, screaming as the fake Max was reduced to nothing. Ben was a bit surprised, and very shocked, but not at all opposed to her fighting back.
Gwen looked back, panting as she clutched the water gun in her hands, aiming it at the other imposters. "Who else is thirsty!?" Gwen shouted, gritting her teeth as she stared the fake Vera down. Gwen turned to Ben, still aiming her water gun at the imposing monsters. "Ben, hurry up and find that trapdoor! We need to find Grandpa, save Aunt Vera, and take these creeps down!" Gwen shouted.
Ben smiled and nodded, priming the Omnitrix and pushing the core down. In a flash of green light, Ben was replaced by Nightstalker, who screeched and carried Gwen over the fence with his tail, all while she kept her eyes locked on the imposters. Nightstalker easily shoved the dumpsters out of the way and found the trapdoor. He noticed a lock and spat acid on it, dissolving it as he tore the doors off the hinges, only to see that it led down to a giant pit, leading underground. He motioned and hissed for Gwen to hold on to him, and she did, noticing the pit that led downward.
Nightstalker leapt down into the pit, as they're falling, Nightstalker tries to slow his fall by digging his claws into the walls of rock, though they still hit the floor, the descent was slowed enough so neither of them could sustain significant damage. "Nice save, maybe I should give you more credit for the quick-thinking." Gwen remarked. The alien turned its head to her, letting a wide toothy smile form, only for it to fade as they both notice the elderly imposters crawling down after them.
"Time to go, Ben! Move it!" Gwen yelled out, aiming the water gun at the elders as Nightstalker quickly skittered off into the caverns. The pair speed down a dark tunnel for a while, only stopping when he comes to a split path. Gwen gets off him and feels a bit overwhelmed. "These tunnels must go under the whole complex, it's gonna take forever just to search all these tunnels!" Gwen groaned as her voice echoed.
Far behind Gwen, a pair of red eyes stalk her in the dark. Nightstalker starts sensing something, and makes out the faint outline of Fake Max, who looks more like a disgusting slime shaped like Max, just as he tries to grab Gwen with his stretchy arms. Nightstalker screeches and hisses as he grabs on the fake Max's arms and pulls him into a wall, but he quickly gets up.
Nightstalker stands in a territorial-stance in front of Gwen and charges at Max, but Max grabs Nightstalker by the neck and attempts to suplex him, but Nightstalker manages to jam his bladed tail through fake Max's chest, even using his second mouth to viciously chew and melt off chunks of fake Max's face. Fake Max then manages to kick Nightstalker into the wall and jump onto him, pinning him down as fake Max punches him repeatedly, smiling; Gwen runs over and sprays fake Max down with her water gun, but fake Max swats Gwen away, sending her flying into the furthest stone wall.
Fake Max turned his attention back to Nightstalker, only to find that the alien is gone. He looked around carefully, only to feel a sudden burning sensation on his shoulders. He looked up, noticing Nightstalker dripping his acid onto him, then lunges down and gains his second wind. Nightstalker snaps his jaws at fake Max, mauling and burning the imposter; stabs his bladed tail repeatedly into fake Max and flings him into a wall; and grabs him with his claws and repeatedly slams the imposter into the ground, then launches him across the cave.
Nightstalker quickly crawled over to Gwen, who was holding her arm, wincing in pain. "I'm fine, just landed wrong..." Gwen reassured. Nightstalker hissed in a feral way, lunging at fake Max and landing on top of him. He raises his arms, preparing to finish him.
Before the alien can finish off the imposter, the alien quickly makes himself look exactly like Max, hoping to stop the alien from striking him. "You wouldn't wanna hurt old Grandpa Max, now would'ya?" fake Max asks with a warm smile. Unfortunately, this doesn't make Nightstalker hesitate. Instead, it makes him screech out in a fury, aggressively mauling the fake Max and burning him with his acid without care. between the in-human screeching from both Nightstalker and fake Max, Gwen couldn't tell who was in more pain, or just screaming out in a rage.
Soon enough, the fake Max was incapacitated, burning and covered in acid. Nightstalker grabs Gwen and sets her on his back, then bolts off in a direction. Nightstalker sensed something big, something with a lot of warm bodies inside, and was pretty sure that was where Aunt Vera, and the real grandpa Max were being kept.
Gwen held on tight, noticing that they were going deeper and deeper underground, and also noticed it was starting to slowly get warmer. Gwen looks ahead and sees a wall of wooden boards and moss, and Nightstalker was going to ram himself through it. Gwen braced herself and closed her eyes as Nightstalker burst through, crashing downwards and skidding down a long hill. The Omnitrix starts beeping and flashing red, and Nightstalker is turned back into Ben.
Gwen gets off her cousin and dusts herself off, while Ben takes a little longer to get up, stretching as he sees a light up ahead. They move closer and find that the tunnel leads to an enormous room, with a large spaceship in the middle and small green pods lining the entire floor. They walk for a bit among the pods, Marty's unconscious body is visible in one of them.
Ben and Gwen carefully moved around, both in awe, and worry. "Guess we found their ship." Ben quietly said.
Gwen saw more and more elderly folk in the pods, it was terrifying. "It's like everyone in Retirement Village has been podded up!" Gwen stated.
Ben walked over to one of the pods, noticing even more elderly people. "Kinda makes you wonder how long this has been going on, doesn't it?" Ben asked.
The both of them shuddered at that thought, then look to another couple pods and see both Grandpa Max and Aunt Vera.
"Aunt Vera!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Grandpa!" Ben exclaimed.
The pair of them tug on the pods, and they crack open. Max and Vera's bodies fall out and they slowly come to. "Grandpa, how do you feel? What happened?" Ben asked, helping Max to his feet.
Gwen helped Vera to her feet, trying to keep her steady. "Aunt Vera, do you know how you ended up down here?" Gwen asked.
Max groaned as he rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up a bit. "Huh, I was out for a walk, and then... I can't seem to remember what happened next." Max remarked.
Vera stretched her arms up and popped her back. "I feel so stiff. I remember waiting for Max to come back, but... everything else is a blur." Vera stated.
Ben reached out to Marty's pod, till a fist suddenly slugged him in the face, sending him sliding back. Ben, Gwen, Max and Vera looked at the three remaining fake elders, who continued to slowly advance towards them. "I wouldn't do that If I were you...!" fake Vera chirped with a sneer.
Ben got back on his feet and looked at the watch, which had just become green again. "Well, you're not me!" Ben shot back.
Fake Marty smiled creepily, his sunken eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body began to form into that green goo. "Not yet, I'm not!" He remarked.
Marty and the others morph into their true selves, green liquid amorphous aliens with orange eyes and pink internal organs. Max uttered a single word, and his tone signified he was angry. "Limax." Max gritted.
"Limax, grandpa?" Ben asked curiously.
Max slammed his face into the palm of his hand. "Think of them like body-snatchers, Ben. Only they don't just replace people, they eat people, specifically the elderly!" Max explained. "They're weakness is water, but down here, in the middle of the desert, you'd have to be extra lucky to find a puddle." Max stated.
The four Tennysons back up. Gwen accidentally touches the back of the ship with her hand and 'activates' it, revealing a doorway to more pods loaded onboard. "Remember how I said it makes you wonder how long this has been going on? Forget I ever asked." Ben stated sternly, stepping forward as he faced the Limax.
"The ship, it's filled with hundreds of pods, each one containing a poor oblivious soul!" Max shouted.
Vera was in shock. She was past being frightened by this point, she was downright mortified. "Max, is this what plumbers always had to deal with, a bunch of man-eating aliens!?" Vera asked.
Max paused and knew he had questions for later, but he knew these people needed to be saved. Max looked around and noticed something up top, something that looked like a pipe.
Ben, meanwhile, has primed the Omnitrix, cycling through his options. He landed on Swampfire, but he thought about his choice. Ben cycled back to Knosoul and was ready to transform. "You guys really are starved, aren't you?" Ben asked.
Ben pushes the core down, and in a flash of green light, Knosoul takes his place. "Then how about some soul food!" Knosoul confidently said, enveloping his hands in dark red energy. Knosoul rushes forward and fires off waves of energy on the Limax. The attacks land, burning holes in them, but instead of being damaged, they are unaffected, and instead grow into one big combined alien and speak in one voice.
"Whatever you are, you just made a terrible mistake. Sure, we can't touch you in that form, but you can't take us down all at once!" The giant Limax bellowed.
Knosoul rolls his eyes and rushes forward, punching the Giant Limax's leg. It attempts to grab his arm and throws him repeatedly on the ground, but the Limax still couldn't touch him. It looks behind and sees Gwen, Vera and Max carrying pods out of the ship, and spawns two small Limaxes from its back to deal with them. One of them swipes at Gwen, but she ducks and it only knocks her backpack over. All of its contents, including Gwen's water gun, spill on the floor. The two Limaxes suddenly see the gun and run away from it in fear. Vera grabs the gun and sprays them through the head, causing them to screech and collapse into liquid on the ground.
"Ben!" Knosoul turned to Max, who was pointing to something above him. Knosoul saw the pipe, and turned back towards Max. "It's a water pipe, bust that open and they won't be able to fight back!" Max shouted.
Knosoul looks to the pipe. The spectre smirks and flies upward, charging an energy sphere in his hands as he bashes it against the pipe, causing water to spray all over the cavern. The Limax feels the water landing on them, and wails out, screeching as it melts, deforms and begins to fall apart.
"Hope you had a nice summer, slimeball! Here's a nice summer shower for ya!" Knosoul called out.
The giant Limax has been reduced to a large puddle. At the ship, Gwen, Vera and Max finish carrying out the last of the pods, just as the ship starts to make a whirring noise, indicating it's about to take off. "There's no drive-through service here, slimey! You want a home cooked meal, go find it somewhere else!" Vera shouted.
As Max runs out, the last liquidy remains of the Limax crawl inside and the door shuts. The ship shakes the ground and rises up out of the crater it created, tunneling right out of the cave and bursting onto the moonlit desert above, where it zooms out of Earth's atmosphere. The Tennysons are now in an empty room, surrounded by the entire population of Retirement Village.
Max looks over at Vera, smiling as she looks back. "Vera, how long did you know?" Max asked.
Vera sighed. "A long while, Maxy. Never told a soul, cause I didn't want to get in your way. I'm sure you had your reasons for not tellin' me, just know I'm willing to help, wherever I can." Vera explained.
Gwen cleared her throat. "As much as I'd like to hear this, we should put them all back in their condos, so they'll think they never left." Gwen stated, gesturing to the several pods of people.
Max sighed. "I agree, though it might take a while just to get them out of here." Max stated.
Knosoul floated down. "I can probably phase some of these people through the ground, and if you give me a few minutes after that, I'll see if Bravefeather can lend a helping hoof, Grandpa." Knosoul suggested.
The next morning, the weekend has come to an end. Max hugs Vera goodbye, and Vera hugs her grandchildren.
"Now remember, Maxy! Don't be strangers!" Vera said.
Max laughed. "We won't, don't you worry!" Max turned to Ben and Gwen. "Kids, why don't you give me and Vera a moment to talk, won't you?" Max asked.
Ben and Gwen smiled, running down the street as Max and Vera sighed. "Maxy, I-" Max interrupted Vera by bringing her into one more hug. Vera sighed and hugged Max back. "I'm so sorry I didn't say anything sooner." Vera apologized.
Max laughed. "Don't be, I'm just glad there's one or two less people to keep this secret from. I just hope the day doesn't come where Ben and Gwen find out the truth," Vera smiled and continued to listen. "It'd break my heart for those kids to get involved with my past." Max explained.
Vera chuckled and pat Max on the back. "I'm sure one day, they'll understand completely. Just promise me you won't push them too hard when they do, okay dear? They are still children, after all." Vera asked.
Max smiled and nodded his head. "Okay kids, time to hit the road!" Max called out, stepping into the RV.
Ben and Gwen ran back to the RV, only to remember something. "Hey grandpa, can we talk to Vera one more time? It's super important." Ben asked.
"Yeah, please grandpa?" Gwen asked.
Max smiled. "Okay, okay. Just don't take too long, alright!" Max said, moving up to the driver's seat.
Ben and Gwen stepped off the RV and hugged Vera one more time. "So, when should we tell Grandpa?" Ben asked.
Vera smiled and ruffled Ben's hair. "Whenever the time comes, kiddo," Vera looked to Gwen. "Gwen, try to relax a bit more, but always be prepared for when another nasty alien comes your way, can you do that for me?" Vera asked.
Gwen smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. I can give it the old college try, if that works." Gwen suggested.
Vera looked towards Ben. "Ben, keep up the good work, dealing with all those aliens you were telling me about! But, don't wait for something to just happen, either. If something seems wrong, make things right. If someone's going to do wrong, talk things out and keep your cool. Think you can do that?" Vera asked.
Ben thought about that for a moment, and nodded, a small smile forming on his face. "Good. I love you both, and don't be afraid to come visit me again, sometime!" Vera said, squeezing the two of them in one final hug.
Ben and Gwen ran back to the RV as they waved goodbye to Vera, and she smiles, waving back.
As the Rust Bucket leaves the desert, it passes the giant hole the Limax spaceship left. Down it, and back through the caverns, the Limax that impersonated Max crawls out of buried rocks and slowly creeps along the tunnel floor. Before it can start regenerating, it's then captured in a jar, by a man dressed in a black armored body suit.
The individual presses some kind of button on a device near his head. "Madame, this is Bat. The Limax has been acquired. Repeat, the Limax has been acquired. Do you copy, over?" The man asked, his voice deep and most-likely altered by a voice changer.
In the dark room, now illuminated by tall glowing tubes, filled with a glowing black substance as white blobs slowly maneuver and float about. The woman, known as Madame, sips from her wine glass, then presses a button on her wrist. "This is Madame, excellent work, Bat. Return with the Limax, and you will get your reward. Over and out." Madame stated.
The man, known as Bat, responds. "Madame, if you don't mind me asking. Why do you need one of these disgusting aliens? Over." Bat asks.
There was a long silence, until Madame presses the button again. "I have my reasons, and you follow orders. Now, make haste. The Tennysons are on the move. Over and out." Madame stated.
"Understood. Going on radio silence till I've returned. Over." Bat responded.
"Ten-Four." Madame stated.
Madame took another sip from her glass, then pressed a button on some kind of built-in intercom. "Doctor, are you busy at the moment?" Madame asked.
"Of course, Madame," A shifty raspy voice responded. "If I weren't busy, I'd be a traitor! Is there something you need of me?" the doctor asked inquisitively.
Madame smiled. "Yes, Bat has collected the Limax, as you instructed. Prepare yourself when he just shows up in your lab to deliver, you know how he is." She informed.
"Many thanks for the update, Madame. If I may, shall I prepare... him, for his next mission, as well?" The doctor asked.
Madame was silent for but a moment, then her smile became wider. "Yes, but don't send him out just yet, I still need to keep track of the Tennysons, and depending on where they stop next, will determine where we send our little spider. Don't send him out on a mission without my say so, not a moment too soon, and not a moment later. Am I making myself clear?" Madame asked.
"Crystal clear, Madame. I'll go prepare the spider and put him on standby, as per your request. Over and out." The doctor hung up.
Madame looked over across her desk, and saw a laminated folder. "Soon, very soon..." She whispered.
9 - SHIFT-GEAR
Species:
Cybertronian
Homeplanet:
Cybertron
Original Native Franchise:
Transformers
10 - KNOSOUL
Species:
Ghost
Homeplanet:
The Ghost Zone
Original Native Franchise:
Danny Phantom
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And that was Permanent Retirement. I definitely changed things up, probably not as much as I would've hoped, but I think I did a fairly good job with this one. I definitely could've changed the Limax to another species, but I just think the Limax are great, and it's a shame we never got to see the whole Limax thing develop in the actual show (I guess that's what fanfiction's for). Plus, I do want to do some character development for the Tennysons, as well as a certain someone else.
I hope you're ready for the next two chapters, those'll be interesting for later on in the story. Till then, we officially now have the full arsenal of 10 revealed, which means we can now get into the good stuff. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
