The Tennysons drive on a highway, and it seems like there's nothing much to do. Gwen is reading one of her books, Kevin is trying to practice some kind of technique with his powers, but it doesn't seem to be working, Max is jamming out to a good song on the radio, and Ben is playing a video game on his console, only to suddenly get beat.
Ben looks out the window, seeing a car right beside them. A kid in the back seat makes a bunch of faces at him, even going as far as to chew up a hamburger, and show it off. Ben looks disgusted and looks back at his game, only to notice that he was losing. Ben immediately tried to get out of trouble, until his character exploded in a white pixelated mess, and a 'GAME OVER' screen popped up, with his character in pieces.
Ben frowns and sets his controller down, then he shuts off the console and goes over to Kevin, who appears to be rubbing a spoon and trying to do something. "Kev, what're you doing?" Ben asked.
Kevin opens his eyes and points the spoon at Ben. "I'm trying to see if I can absorb more than just energy. I got smacked into a water tower by those crazy carnies, and my juice was tapped out. I'm trying to figure out if I can give myself the advantage. If I can absorb something else, maybe make it into armor, I can take more hits, and hit a little harder." Kevin explained.
Ben scratched his head and simply nodded, patting his friend on the back and moved over to Gwen. "And what're you doing?" Ben asked.
Gwen rolled her eyes and showed her cousin the cover of the book. "Tales from the Shadows?" I don't get it." Ben said, obviously confused.
Gwen sighed, at least he was honest. She flipped to a page near the beginning, showing off what looked to be a bunch of fairy tale creatures combating shadow monsters. "It's something you wouldn't understand. Don't hurt yourself trying to think, alright?" Gwen stated.
Ben groaned and was about to sit down, until the RV screeches to a halt and Ben goes sliding to the front. "Grandpa, what's going on?" Ben asked, trying to get back up.
Max got up from his seat. "Time to go hero, Ben. We got a serious problem up-ahead." Max stated.
Ahead of them, they see a propane truck has overturned and the truck driver is stuck inside. There is also a fire spreading just outside the truck, the danger of the situation rising by the moment. The driver bangs on his window, screaming.
"The door's stuck! He can't get out! Someone do something!" A bystander cried out.
The driver continues to bang on his window, seeing the fire increasing. "HELP ME!" the driver exclaimed, looking on at the crowd of people, terrified.
Ben immediately jumps out of the RV, running towards the truck. In a flash of green light, Ben is replaced by Swampfire. The flames' intensity increases, but it's no problem for the swamp-smelling alien hero.
"If that propane he's hauling catches fire, that truck will become a rocket to the moon." Max states.
Max notices the crowd, and tries to get the crowd of people clear, in case things go awry. "Come on, folks, step back. Give the uh... plant, a chance to work." Max said, questioning if that sounded right.
Swampfire holds his hands out, opening ports in his palms as he starts to absorb the flames, decreasing the risk of an explosion, while also somehow making himself more jacked with the more flames he absorbs. After getting rid of all the flames, Swampfire uses his newfound physical strength to tear the door off and toss it to the side as he helped the man out, bringing him to the side lines for safety.
"There we go, out of the frying pan, and into the safe strong arms of Swampfire." The alien remarked with a smile.
The kid from the other car was in awe. "That's the kid we were driving by! That was totally wicked!" The kid mentioned.
Swampfire's confident smile, soon becomes one of nervousness. "Wow, look at the time. I'd love to answer questions, but I have a garden to tend to. Ciao!" Swampfire then rushed off in a huff.
The Tennysons continue along the road and it already feels like a long road ahead to a specific location. Gwen looks out the window and reads out the signs on the roadside.
"You'll have a ball with it!" "Next exit"" She read.
"Come on, Grandpa. At least give us a hint of what "it" is." Ben asked.
Max looked back at the kids and smiled. "Uh-uh. No hints. I've been planning this stop all summer. Even amidst the strange oddities that have occurred." Max said, leaving his grandkids stuck in a mystery.
Kevin, who had now situated himself in the front seat, wasn't that excited. If anything, he seemed bored. "Is it weird to say I kinda miss waking up in that abandoned subway?" Kevin asked.
Gwen looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow. "I would say yes, but you're not my cousin." Gwen states.
Ben shot her a look, only for her to clear her throat. "No, I'm not referring to you." Gwen said, shooting a look at Ben.
Ben rolled his eyes and looked at his friend. "I'd say you had a pretty cool pad. Sure, it was basically an abandoned subway station, but how many people can say they live in a subway station?" Ben asked.
Kevin didn't seem satisfied with that answer. "I get what you're saying, but... I guess I kinda miss my mom and dad, that's all." Kevin said somberly. He looked out the window and felt his lock necklace. "Back in New York, it seemed like all I was good for was causing trouble. Now I'm fighting crime and super-villains? It's a sudden shift, and I don't think I was ready." Kevin stated.
Gwen got up from her seat and walked over to Kevin, hugging him as she faced him with a smile. "Kevin, you're a very strange guy, but that's not a bad thing. I want to help you do better, if you'll let me." Gwen offered.
Kevin seemed a bit surprised, but more so confused. "What's in it for you?" Kevin asked.
Gwen's smile never faltered. "Nothing. I just want to help you, that's all. You just seem like you need guidance." Gwen said.
Before Kevin could respond, they reach their destination. once Max got off the RV, Kevin groaned. "This is going to blow, just you two wait." Kevin said with bemusement.
Ben smiled. "Come on, Kev, it's probably not gonna be that bad. You might just find something you like here." Ben encouraged.
"Now, all of you, close your eyes." Max called out.
Ben, Gwen and Kevin close their eyes and walk out of the RV. They carefully exited the Rust Bucket and felt the calmest summer breeze brush against their faces. "Okay, open 'em up!" The three of them did as they were told, and opened their eyes. They see a huge billboard, then glance at the seemingly quiet and mundane town and its various stores and attractions. "Ta-da! Welcome to Sparksville!" Max announced.
"Hah, is this place great or what?" Max asked with a smile.
Ben opened his mouth to say something, only to try stifling a yawn. "Uh... I'll go with 'or what', Grandpa." Ben said.
"Come on! What's more exciting than the world's biggest fish bowl?" Max asked.
The kids looked at the huge fish bowl on display, and clearly there wasn't much sign of impress. "Anything else, old timer... Anything else in general could be much more exciting." Kevin grumbled.
Eventually, a man approaches them to greet them in a monotonous voice. "As the mayor of Sparksville, I welcome you, as seekers of wonder. Name's Earl, by the way." He introduced in a monotone voice.
The Tennysons looked at Earl strangely. He was a white pale man with brown hair and peach fuzz on his chin, donned in a grey blue suit and pants with a white dress shirt and a white belt. He also had a black handkerchief and wore a string bowtie. He also had something else, something tucked away in his pocket he kept fiddling with.
Max walks up to Earl and offers to shake his hand, to which Earl responds with doing so. "Nice to meet you, Mayor Earl." Max said with a smile.
Earl let go of Max's hand and looked him up and down, only to take out a disposable camera and load film into it. Before he knew what happened, Max was blinded by a flash of light as the camera shuttered. "Don't mind the sudden photography, it's a new policy we're workin' on. Depending on how good your behavior is, you'll be a candidate for best tourist." Earl blandly explained.
Max rubbed his eyes and looked back at the kids, noticing the look of mundane, monotonous exhaustion on their faces. "I know you guys are probably excited to see 'it'. So, I'll go check us in, and you three can have some fun. Just remember, no causing trouble." Max reminded as he gave each of the kids a ticket, then walked off.
Ben thought about just going around and finding something to do, maybe explore the attractions, but despite Sparksville seeming like the dullest place to be, something told him that there was something else going on. Ben looks back to his cousin and his friend, and decides to speak his mind. "Hey, can I talk to you two for a moment? It's kinda important." Ben requested.
The three walked into the RV, sitting at the booths as Ben took a pencil and one of Gwen's empty notebooks, writing down something and sketching stuff out. Gwen raised an eyebrow, curious as to what exactly is so important. Kevin, on the other hand, saw something in Ben's eyes. A look of uncertainty, but also a sense of determination to find the truth.
After what felt like a solid minute of silence, Gwen finally broke the silence. "Ben, are you done writing, or are you gonna explain what's so important?" Gwen inquired.
Ben soon stopped writing and sketching, setting the pencil aside and showing off what he made to the two that sat across from him. It was some kind of timeline of events, depicting what has happened already, and it stops the moment they come to Sparksville. "What's this, man?" Kevin asked.
Ben took a deep breath and sighed. "It's a timeline of events. Specifically, one that's related to our grandpa's history. He hasn't been the same since this road trip started... especially after I found the Omnitrix," Ben showed off the device to the two, who kept their eyes on Ben himself. "Gwen and I, we found out the truth, but we don't know if there's any significant connection. Being around our grandpa, we didn't have the time to properly figure this out." Ben explained.
Kevin read the timeline carefully, noting that at one of the later points, a small mention of a 'paranormal event' was placed above the same point in time when Zombozo was still running around. Kevin would've said something, but considering Ben was focused on his grandfather, he kept that thought in the back of his head for later. As of now, Ben and Gwen were suspecting that their grandfather was hiding his past, and it had a lot to do with aliens.
Kevin used his finger to trace the timeline backwards, landing on the point where Ben and Gwen first found out the truth in a place known as the 'Retirement Village'. Curiosity got the better of the punk and he asked a question. "What exactly did you find out about your gramps?" Kevin asked, seeming cautious with his wording.
Ben flipped the page and grabbed the pencil, sketching out an exact replica of that black badge. Kevin goes wide eyed at the sight, and suddenly things make more sense. "That he's a Plumber. And before you ask, no, not the one that fixes toilets. He-"
"The Plumbers are an intergalactic police force that deal with aliens that plan to cause trouble on Earth. They also specialize in supernatural or paranormal problems." Kevin interrupted nonchalantly.
Ben and Gwen's eyes went wide as they stared at their friend, who seemed pretty casual about what he just said. The pair look at each other, then back at Kevin. "How did you know that? I was gonna tell you that, but-"
"Because my dad was a plumber," Kevin raised his hand and let a small line of electrical energy crackle and spark at his fingertips. "Where did you think I got my powers from?" Kevin asked.
Ben and Gwen were shocked, mainly for different reasons. Ben was shocked to know his friend knew more than he let on, but he was more so sympathetic, but confused. 'If he ran away from home, and his dad's a plumber with the same type of powers, why didn't his dad try to track him down?' Ben thought.
Gwen was shocked, obviously, but she was elated. Knowing that Kevin had a background, mainly being related to a plumber who happened to be his father, maybe she and her cousin will be able to learn more about what the Plumbers were all about.
She opened her mouth to say something, only for Kevin to immediately cover her mouth with his hand. "I know you got questions, believe me, I have questions too, but let's keep this on the down-low. If your grandpa doesn't know that you know his secret, then we should wait this out." Kevin stated.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Why wait? If you know about the plumbers, shouldn't we say something to Grandpa Max?" Ben asked. Kevin looked nervous, but Ben does remember what happened back in the subway in New York. "Back at the subway, my grandpa said that you reminded him of your dad. Clearly he knows who you are, even if he didn't immediately recognize you. What's the issue in telling Max now that we know what's going on?" Ben inquired.
Kevin gritted his teeth and seemed uncomfortable, but when Gwen patted his back, he lightened up and seemed to be in a dead-lock. Kevin sighed and got up, moving to the door. "Let's just go enjoy these attractions, maybe get a bite to eat. Trust me, Tennyson, I think we should just wait. Can you do that for me?" Kevin asked.
Ben and Gwen looked at each other. They both didn't get the answers they were looking for, but it was a start. Time, that was on their side, but for how much longer? They looked back at Kevin, smiling and nodding as they followed him out of the RV.
The trio go to an exhibit named "The Jack-A-Lope". Ben rings the bell. Ben, Gwen and Kevin are surprised to see Earl walk out as the ticket collector, now adorned with a grey cap hat with a American flag image on the front. "Tickets, please." Earl stated.
Gwen raised an eyebrow in confusion as the three of them give him their tickets. "I thought you were the mayor." Gwen states.
Earl gave the trio a bored, dull and emotionless look. "He who wears the crown is burdened by many hats," Ben, Gwen and Kevin shrug as they head in, but Gwen could hear the last few words Earl uttered before he fell silent. "There's only one rule y'all need to follow. Mind the signs." He emphasized.
The trio take various pictures, including in front of the jackalope building, an "American Gothic" painting cutout, a planetarium in which an employee is replacing the "sunlight" bulb, a giant house of cards, a giant hot-dog, Ben getting sprayed with ketchup and mustard, Gwen getting a hot-dog tossed at her, Kevin smiling and enjoying fries and a milkshake as the two chase each other, Ben wearing jackalope horns, Gwen wearing googly-eye glasses, Kevin wearing a Frankenstein's monster mask with electricity crackling from his fingers, the world's largest fishbowl (Ben and Gwen pretending to be fish and Kevin pretending to be a crab), and them sitting on a bench, bored.
Soon enough, they find themselves following a path, being directed by Earl and passing an "it is this way" sign. They arrive at the barn with a sign "IT's Here". The trio look on, actually curious as to what exactly could be behind the barn's doors.
Earl steps forward. "Through these doors lies the weirdest, wildest thing ever to find it's way to Sparksville. Y'all be careful, now." Earl states, sounding just a fair bit more excited in his tone, despite looking like he died inside.
Ben, Gwen and Kevin venture into the barn, seeing several signs pointing towards a curtain. As the curtain is pulled away, the trio's initial excitement had been pulverized and reduced to nothing as they behold the sight of a huge rubber band ball. The trio, despite the disappointment, did see signs around the attraction, and very explicitly limiting signs, too. The signs say to not touch it, don't use battery-powered or electrical equipment around it, and to not even photograph it.
Kevin groaned. "I can't believe we came all this way, just for a rubber band ball. I was more impressed seeing four turtles and a rat steal a whole box of pizza!" Kevin remarked.
Ben looked around, almost as if he was being deprived of a rush of dopamine. "Don't tell me this is "it"!" Ben complained.
Gwen eyed the rubber band ball, seeming almost compelled to try and touch it. "It's just a big ball of rubber bands."
Earl stepped forward, a grimacing expression on his face as he stared at the colossal ball of compiled rubber and elasticity. "And who knows what secrets lie within." Earl stated, his tone of voice becoming more suspenseful.
Ben raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but give an answer. "Uhh, more rubber bands?" Ben answered.
For the first time since the Tennysons got here, Earl smiled a little bit before resuming his emotionless expression. "Stay as long as you like. Mind the signs." Earl warned, closing the barn door behind him.
Back with Max, he was checking in for a room for four, until he suddenly heard footsteps coming up behind him. Out of reflex, Max reaches into his back pocket and quickly turns around, pulling out a socket wrench as he wields it like a club, ready to defend himself. Max immediately let up and calmed down when he noticed it was only Earl, who seemed, strangely unfazed by Max's actions.
Max pockets the wrench and sighs. "my apologies, mister mayor. I was just-"
Earl wasted no time at all holding a hand up to stop Max's apology. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar black badge with a red center. Max's blood ran cold at the sight of it, and Earl soon pocketed the badge. "Ran your photo through the Plumber database. Found a match with several other individuals across the coast, hearing of rumors that the legendary Max Tennyson, was getting back to work." Earl explained.
Max gritted his teeth and seemed shaky. "Look, whatever you want from me, just leave the kids out of this. They don't know anything, they don't have to be involved in this." Max remarked.
Earl patted Max's back and led him over to a booth, gesturing to a couple waitresses to bring two of some kind of special. Earl and Max sat down while Earl loosened up his string tie. Soon enough, Max and Earl had a cup of coffee each by their side, and some kind of strange-looking cuisine on colorful metal plates. It was comprised of these strange red meaty roots and vines, but also had some kind of juicy black beef steak, cooked and primed for consumption. On the side were some kind of scrambled substance, almost similar to eggs, and some kind of pink sauce with black specks within it.
Earl took a huge bite of each thing on his plate, then washed it down casually with his coffee. "Been a while since someone like you had alien cuisine, right? It's nothing to worry yourself about, been eating these meals since I got registered months ago. A big-bellied four-armed fella essentially told me I was doing the right thing, bundling up those strange battery creatures in rubber and elasticity, but it's not a permanent solution. They'll get out. It's not a matter of if they do, only when they do. That's when he gave me that badge, something I can essentially use to access this fancy thing called the 'Extranet'. It's how I found out about you." Earl explained.
Max quietly took this information all in, and steadily ate the foreign food, finding it to be a bit too rich with different flavors, but was otherwise not bad. "So, why are you letting me know that you're with the plumbers? I left that life behind for a reason. I'm retired." Max remarked.
Earl took a sip from his coffee cup and motioned to the waitresses to bring out a dessert platter. "I like to keep my eyes and ears open, mister Tennyson. I got family across the world, family I haven't seen since I was a boy. I'll be at this job till I fall over and turn to ash and waste, I'm doing this job to keep my family safe, to keep this town safe. Figured you'd do the same, what with your boy handling level-20 alien technology, and paling around with an Osmosian to boot." Earl explained.
Max's veins felt cold as ice, to the point where he felt numb, but the hot food and coffee in his stomach helped keep him steady. 'Level Twenty? There's no way it's that advanced. Why... why would anyone send something like that to Earth?' Max thought.
The dessert platter soon came. A huge mountain of white rich cream with a couple fruit toppings. "How do you know all of this?" Max asked.
Earl pulled a few photos from his pocket, revealing them to be the same photos the kids were taking. Kevin was demonstrating his powers with a mask on, and Max could clearly see the Omnitrix on full display. "I make it a habit to make sure nothing happens in this town. I assume you and your kids are stayin' for the night?" Earl asked.
Max nodded and Earl soon got up, using a napkin to wipe his face. "Consider this little meal on the house, but you might wanna let your kids know of the danger that's been followin' y'all. Soon enough, it'll be devastation, if the truth doesn't come out." Earl warned, walking out of the building.
Max looked at the mountainous creamy dessert in front of him, and sighed, looking at the waitresses. "Any chance I can get some of this put into some to-go containers? I'm sure my kids'll eat this." Max asked with a nervous smile.
A few hours passed, the sun began to set, and the trio are still hanging around the rubber band ball. Ben started nodding off, and noticed that the outside was getting darker and darker. Ben got up and lightly brushed his fingertips against the rubber ball, moving towards Kevin and Gwen, who had been leaning on each other and eventually passed out.
Before Ben could do anything, the Omnitrix suddenly began to beep. It started out slow, then picked up the pace. A low whirring sound could be heard, and it got louder, more high-pitched, and soon enough, the Omnitrix was beginning to give off a colorful glow. Before Ben could do anything, a couple small sparks escaped the Omnitrix and leaked into the rubber band ball. Soon enough, a bolt of yellow electricity jolted out of the ball, and Ben blocked his face with the Omnitrix. The bolt of electricity and the Omnitrix made contact, and soon enough, Ben was sliding across the floor.
Ben groaned and sat up, noticing the ball of rubber bands was unfazed, undisturbed. Ben looked down to see if the Omnitrix was damaged, only to see it was doing something completely different, something Ben hadn't seen it do before. The hourglass looked like it was trying to form a diamond, but stopped halfway, letting it become some kind of DNA-shaped symbol. It wasn't glowing its usual green, but was now glowing a bright yellow. The dial and the symbol spun on its own while it glowed yellow.
Ben grimaced and felt a sense of panic, wondering if he somehow messed up the Omnitrix. Before he could figure out what to do, the Omnitrix suddenly returned to normal, returning to its hourglass shape, and shining green. Ben was confused, but also scared and mildly intrigued. He never saw the Omnitrix do that before, and wondered if it had something to do with that bolt of electricity that came out of the rubber band ball. Before he could think on that any more, He noticed Gwen and Kevin stirring.
Ben rushed over to them and shook them awake. "Hey, guys! Wake up, something just happened!" Ben called out, shaking the pair.
Kevin soon woke up, rubbing his head as he tried to steady himself, while Gwen rolled over and got up, rubbing her eyes. "Man, how long were we out?" Gwen asked.
Ben dusted off Kevin and Gwen as he faced them. "A few hours. It's getting late, but something just happened, something weird." Ben remarked.
Kevin and Gwen were obviously curious about what Ben was on about, but it was clearly getting late. "Tell ya what, we can talk about this in the morning. Right now, I could use some serious sleep." Gwen stated.
Kevin yawned and stretched his body. "Yeah, I could go for a couple more hours of sleep myself. Whatever happened, we can talk about it in the AM." Kevin stated tiredly.
Ben, Gwen and Kevin walked to the barn door, until Ben looked back at the rubber band ball, still seeing small flickering sparks of electricity leaking into it, and quietly nodded as he followed his cousin and friend out of the barn. Unbeknownst to the trio, the Omnitrix began to cycle through its transformations, only to land on a blank space with black dots forming into a singular mass and shape. It soon returned to normal as they walked carefully down the path back to town.
Ben, Gwen and Kevin enter the motel through a door that appears to be a big mail slot. Inside, it appears that the entire room has been turned on its side, including the beds and the door.
Max looked over and smiled at the kids. "Hey, there you are. Isn't this place a riot?" Max asked, sounding tired and exhausted.
Ben cleared his throat and yawned. "Well, it wasn't the most exciting, but it wasn't a total bust. Got a few good photos, had a bit of good fun, and nothing bad happened! I'd say that's a pretty good day, right?" Ben said.
As the night settled in, there was a bit of commotion back at the rubber-band ball. The electrical charge has spread all over the surface. A small electric bolt escapes from it and starts to circle the power lines and exhibits. It then puts a hole through the welcome sign for the town. The bolt then reveals itself to what appears to be a yellow creature. It laughs maniacally and zips away.
As Ben, Gwen and Kevin sleep on, Max wakes up right and early to get some breakfast made, only to see the town in chaos and disarray. "What the heck happened here?!" Max exclaimed. Ben, Gwen and Kevin wake up and fall out of bed, taking note that Max wasn't in the room anymore.
Ben groaned as he sat up. "This was going so well, until it wasn't." Ben said.
Kevin let out a chuckle. "Story of my life, Benji." Kevin remarked, rubbing his head as he got to his feet.
"Benjamin. Gwendolyn. Get out here, now." Max stated firmly.
"Oof, that's some tough luck." Kevin said, looking at the two worried kids.
"You too, Kevinaugh, come out here this instant!" Max added. The two kids looked at Kevin, confused as to why he was called Kevinaugh, thinking that Kevin was his actual name, and not just some shorter affectation.
Kevin slumped back onto the ground. "It's a more pronounced name, and Kevin sounds better. Let's just go see what he wants." Kevin remarked in an irritated tone.
Gwen shuddered. "We're doomed!" Gwen remarked.
The kids come outside and see that the entire place has been trashed, totally demolished. All of Sparksville looked like a nuke went off last night. Electrical sparks flew out from several power boxes, detonating like bombs.
The three of them were in awe, and absolute confusion of the destruction in front of them. "Whhoooaa! What happened?" Ben asked curiously.
Max looked back at his grandkids, and Kevin, noticing the confusion on their faces. "I don't know. It seems like the town's under attack, but by what exactly?" Max wondered.
"I think it's pretty clear who's responsible for these juvenile acts," Earl walked onto the scene, now dressed up in some kind of gray suit with a black dress shirt underneath. The badge he had, was now hooked onto his string-tie. The gang turns over towards Earl, who's casually and calmly hiding behind a rubber barricade, while the people of Sparksville look on at and run away from the destruction. "Or, for a more perfect word to use, what's responsible, anyways." Earl announced.
Max thought about the situation and what Earl said. "Juvenile acts, huh?" Max looked over and gave a stern look towards Kevin. "If I didn't know any better-"
"Oh, I'm not talking about your superpowered youngsters." Earl interrupted.
Max nearly tripped over his own feet, as did the kids. "You're not?!" The four said in disbelief.
"Nope." Earl stated.
Max looked back at Kevin, who rolled his eyes and continued to look at the destruction. "If it wasn't them, then who or what caused all this damage?" Max asked curiously.
The little creature arrives and zips around Ben and Gwen, making silly poses and faces, and pulls Gwen's shirt over her head. It taps on Kevin's shoulder to get his attention. It makes intimidating expressions while Kevin simply looks unimpressed at the attempts of intimidation, but is very surprised to see such a strange little creature at all in such a dull little town like Sparksville, but he felt like it sparked something in him, something familiar.
The creature zips away, leaving the Tennysons confused, and Kevin even more so. "Ok, I'll bite. What was that?" Ben asked.
Earl looked at the gang, emotionless and lacking any real emotion. "A Megawhatt." He said.
Gwen seemed a bit confused. "An Omega-whosit?" Gwen asked, trying to pronounce the word Earl said.
Kevin stepped up and cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Megawhatt. My guess, that's what the locals around here call it. I heard about them through a family of farmers, and their story about how they encountered them. They were selling at the farmer's market one day, and told me about some strange gremlin creatures with black skin, and had a passing resemblance to batteries." Kevin explained.
Earl let a smile form on his face. "Nice to know word gets around about the unforeseen dangers." Earl remarked.
Kevin looked at the Tennysons. "To me, it's clear that the locals call them Megawhatts. But I know what these things are, my dad had an old friend who looked just like it. They're called Nosedeenians." Kevin explained.
Ben and Gwen seemed a bit confused by the name, but Max was very much unsettled. 'This kid really is like Devin, he knows his stuff... so why run from home?' Max thought.
Ben couldn't help but ask a question, one that seemed pretty important. "I'm gonna guess and say they're aliens. What's it that a Nose-dean-ian can do, anyway?" Ben asked, trying to pronounce the name right.
Kevin pointed to the Megawhatt, draining energy from a phone booth, causing it to explode and the Megawhatt began to cackle. "They eat and manipulate electricity. The more they consume, the stronger they're gonna get, and the more problematic they're gonna become." Kevin explained.
Max got up and looked at Kevin with a stern expression. "And how is it that you know what they are?" Max asked, getting very suspicious.
Kevin rolled his eyes and was about to make a remark, until he felt a splitting headache come on. He fell to his knees and gripped onto the ground beneath him. The Megawhatt began unleashing more energy, causing Max to duck back down behind cover, and pull Kevin out of harm's way.
As soon as it showed up, the headache passed and Kevin tried to move. "It just... came to me. I don't know how, but I saw one of these things before," Kevin got out of Max's grasp and moved in-between Ben and Gwen. "Is this really the best time to play twenty questions, old timer?" Kevin asked.
The creature was starting to hone in on the group, laughing manically. Earl casually pulls out a can of cola from his pocket, cracking it open as he sips it nonchalantly. "Hoping you got a plan, Max, because that rubber band ball, was a temporary solution." Earl stated.
The kids froze and looked at Earl. "You mean that thing, was in that giant rubber ball!?" Ben exclaimed.
"Yup." Earl admitted.
"How did you get it in there the first time?!" Gwen remarked.
"Dumb luck, that's how." Earl admitted.
Kevin gritted his teeth. "Why would you just keep it in a barn!? Lock that thing up in a cage full of concrete!" Kevin remarked.
Earl shrugged his shoulders. "Wasn't in the budget. It'd also look too suspicious, even in Sparksville. Plus, rubber negates and depletes the electrical charge from building up. It was the only thing holdin' it back." Earl admitted.
Max looked Earl dead in the eyes. "Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Max asked.
Earl looked over at the kids. "So long as people minded the signs." Earl remarked.
Max looked over at the kids, and then Gwen and Kevin looked over at Ben. Ben sighed. "This was my fault, I'm willing to admit. It's what I wanted to talk about with you two!" Ben gestured to Gwen and Kevin, who were confused. Ben raised the Omnitrix up for them to see. "I brushed my fingertips against the rubber ball, but I didn't think, let alone know, that an alien was inside that thing. It must've reacted to the Omnitrix, and in-turn, it caused it to glow yellow. I don't know what means, but this thing has to be stopped! All things considered, this was an accident, and I'm sorry!" Ben explained.
Max looked over at Ben, rubbing his eyes as he stares him down. "We'll talk about this later. For now, how do we stop this thing, Mr. Mayor?" Max asked.
Earl looked at the Tennysons, raising an eyebrow. "Whatchu mean "we"?" Earl grabbed a piece of straw and put it in his mouth, leaning against the wall. "You let it out, you catch it." Earl states.
Max glared at Earl, moving closer towards him. "You're the mayor, pal. And not even to mention, you're a Plumber, for crying out loud!" Max got up and grabbed Earl by the collar, who was now quite surprised by Max's actions. "Get up and help these people, now! That's an order, now follow it!" Max commanded.
Max let Earl go and looked at his grandkids. Ben was priming the Omnitrix and trying to find a transformation that could work. Gwen ran back to the RV, most likely to find a weapon to use. Kevin started absorbing a couple batteries in his pocket, his eyes glow blue as energy courses through his body. Earl looked back at Max, straightened up, and nodded, moving fast towards the court house.
In a flash of green light, Ben is replaced by Rocks. Kevin jumps over the cover and fires a bolt of energy at the Megawhatt. While it didn't do any damage, it did get its attention focused on Kevin. Gwen ran outside, wearing the same soccer gloves she brought to fight Zombozo and his freaks. She grabs a few small chunks of debris and throws them upwards, trying to hit the Megawhatt, but it constantly zipped around and avoided being hit. This didn't last long as Rocks jumped into the air, his eyes glowing orange as he tried to use his earthquake powers. This didn't work either as the Megawhatt zipped out of Rocks' way.
The Megawhatt taunted the cousins, only to suddenly be grabbed from behind by Kevin. "Gotcha now!" Kevin exclaimed. The Megawhatt struggled and squirmed, but it couldn't escape Kevin's grasp. Kevin managed to get one of his hands onto the Megawhatt's head and was about to use his energy draining powers. "Let's see if we can't tire you out!" Kevin stated.
The Megawhatt tried to shock Kevin, but Kevin began to absorb the Megawhatt's energy. At first, it seemed to be working, as the Megawhatt was getting more and more tired. However, Kevin seemed to be struggling. Kevin felt his body pulsate, like several bursts of adrenaline were kicking in all at once. His body tensed up and was beginning to become enveloped in blue electricity.
Kevin screamed out in pain as he was suddenly launched into the side of a car, causing it to tip over on its side upon impact. Kevin's body was still, but it twitched in an errant manner. Rocks glared at the Megawhatt and was about to fight it on his own, until a sudden surge of blue electricity burst out of nowhere and struck the Megawhatt, not only recharging it, but actually hurting it as it yelped and bounced across the pavement.
"OOH YEAH! Now this is what I'm talking about!" Kevin spoke, his voice broken and static-y. Rocks and Gwen looked at Kevin, shocked at what had happened to him.
He looked as if he was becoming a Megawhatt. The near entirety of his body was covered in a black coating, albeit his clothes clung to his new body. His feet had become pointy nubs, all while gray nodes formed on his shoulders and on his wriststraps, each one shining with blue energy. The left side of Kevin's face remained slightly unaltered, except for his eyes, who were very much like the Megawhatt's, shining and full of energy. Kevin's teeth had become more like the Megawhatt's too, though his hair, it remained slightly the same, if not for the obvious that it was now made of blue electrical energy.
Kevin looked at himself, seeing the energy crackle around his hands as he burst forward and slammed into the Megawhatt. Kevin immediately began to on the creature, the sound of metallic flesh slamming against metal was, painful, to say the least.
The Tennysons were surprised, and terrified. Rocks leaned down towards Gwen and pointed at Kevin. "Maybe it's a good thing he's on our side. Had he been evil, I'd hate to imagine what would've happened if he absorbed the watch." Rocks whispered. Gwen nodded without hesitation, and the pair saw Kevin still going to town, beating and slamming the Megawhatt across the entire block.
Kevin seemed as if he was losing himself, so in an attempt to save his friend, Rocks ran in and grabbed ahold of Kevin, who was now trying even harder to squirm free. "Hey! Let go, Tennyson! I'm still amped up, and I had him on the ropes!" Kevin remarked, blue electrical energy crackling and spraying out in random directions.
Rocks looked at the Megawhatt, which looked absolutely drained, and in dire need of help. "Kevin, look what you did to it! We're heroes, not villains! We help people, not kill people!" Kevin continued to squirm, taking a better look at the Megawhatt, seeing it lie on the road unconscious, just barely alive. It made him feel horrible, as if a poison was ravaging his body, and the energy he absorbed couldn't burn it away. "Please, Kevin! You don't have to make that call!" Rocks pleaded.
For a moment, something suddenly came back to Kevin. Kevin's head began to hurt, and he screamed out in pain, squirming in a violent manner as he clutched his head. Rocks let Kevin go as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head as the energy ran rampant. Rocks tried to move towards his friend, but the energy was too much. the occasional electrical strike flung towards the rocky alien, splintering off large thin shards of yellow and brown rock and sediment.
Rocks didn't give up, though. He pushed forward once more, ignoring the fact that Kevin's energy was quite literally tearing him apart with every stray strike of raw power. Rocks grabbed ahold of Kevin one more time, carrying him out of town, and up to the barn. "I'm gonna fix Kevin, you guys try to stop this while I figure this out!" Rocks called out.
As Rocks carried Kevin away, Earl soon came back onto the scene, noticing the Megawhatt looking battered, bruised, and all kinds of tuckered out. "The residents have been properly evacuated. Now, what to do with-" Before Earl could finish that sentence, the Megawhatt regained consciousness. Before anyone could try to pin the little sucker down, it began to immediately wail out, causing nearly every piece of glass to crack and shatter. As glass rained down from above and exploded from all sides, the Megawhatt began to go on an energy consuming spree.
Gwen hid behind the Rust Bucket as she kept herself calm. Till now, she's had a very clear and level head, most likely because she's been around strange threats for the past few days, and the inclusion of her cousin's alien powers, it's made her almost used to the world collapsing around her, even if it was just a mere exaggeration or two. "Come on, Ben. Hurry up and get back here!" Gwen remarked, looking up at the barn in the distance.
Back with Rocks and Kevin, the rocky hero managed to swing the barn doors open as the mutated Kevin still struggled to get out of his friend's grasp. "Let me go, Tennyson! I'll fry you if you don't!" Kevin threatened.
Rocks sighed and got closer to the Rubber band ball. Holding Kevin in one hand, he used his other hand to rip the ball open to make an opening, then stuffed Kevin inside it, closing it up as Kevin struggled to free himself. "Sorry Kev, but you seem a little out of it right now. I'll let you out as soon as you calm down, I promise." Rocks stated, leaving the exhibit as Kevin struggled inside, getting more and more restrained and restricted by the rubber bands.
Before Rocks could get any further out of the barn, Kevin roared out in pain. He quickly turned around, noticing the rubber band ball crackling with tons of blue electricity. Worried, Rocks quickly put his arms up in a defensive stance, only for a large blue lightning bolt to crash through the roof. All was silent for a moment, then Rocks quickly went back to the ball, opening it up to see that Kevin had returned to normal, no longer bearing any resemblance to a Nosedeenian.
Kevin groaned as his eyes fluttered open, and soon noticed he was bunched up in rubber bands. "Ugh, what'd I miss? What happened?" Kevin asked, unaware of the events that transpired.
Rocks pulled Kevin out as the Omnitrix began to flash red and beep, causing the alien hero to return to his human form. Ben was unsure if he should tell his friend the truth, but he hasn't had a moment yet that showed Kevin was not trustworthy, so he decided to explain. "Your energy powers. They ended up turning you into some kind of mutated version of that Nosedeenian thing." Ben stated simply.
Kevin raised an eyebrow, only for his eyes to widen, and his body began to shudder. "No, not again! I-I thought it wouldn't happen again! I didn't-" Kevin's words fell flat as he looked back at Ben, terrified. "I didn't... hurt anyone this time, did I?" Kevin cautiously asked, seeming very concerned for the situation.
Ben was at a loss for words, but his mind was sifting through Kevin's expressions, his words, the way he phrased some of the things he said. 'Kevin said that he thought this wouldn't happen again... Is he implying that this happened before? Is this why...' Ben's thoughts trailed off as he saw Kevin getting more and more concerned. While it was true that Kevin didn't hurt any human people that he knew of, he still beat the tar out of that Nosedeenian. "Kevin, you beat that Megawhatt thing down hard. You looked as if you were losing yourself, I had to do something to try and keep you from making that call. They aren't dead, but judging by the chaos still going down, we need a definitive way to stop this. We can talk about this later, when you're comfortable." Ben explained.
Kevin nodded. The faint sound of a wailing echo could be heard, and the boys bore witness to several billions of glass shards were exploding and raining down in a frenzy back in town. "Okay, so that Earl guy, he said the Megawhatt was contained in that rubber ball. Considering rubber negates and depletes the electrical charge from building up, I think getting it back in the ball, is our safest bet. Kevin, I'm leaving this up to you, I know you got this." Ben explained.
Before Kevin could protest, Ben was already running back to town. Kevin sighed and looked at himself in the reflection of a metal hubcap. Kevin picked the hubcap up, examining it as he looked at his reflection. The way his reflection looked, shining like a coat of metal, or a layer of armor.
Kevin sighed and looked back at the rubber ball, then he got an idea. Kevin put a finger on the hubcap and focused, allowing a layer of metal to morph on his finger, getting past the knuckle. Kevin's eyes widened, and a slight smile formed on his face. The metal soon uncovered his finger and faded. "Okay, I can make this work. It's Hero Time!" Kevin exclaimed, running head first into the rubber ball.
Back in town, the Megawhatt continues to cause havoc on the other exhibits. It makes the world's largest ketchup bottle overflow. The top of the bottle then cuts the head off a giant chicken. The Megawhatt laughs, only to notice Ben running back into the fight. Ben quickly gets behind the Rust Bucket, only to see Max, wearing the same type of suit that Shaw wore when they went after Friends of Fish, Earl was wearing a similar suit, only it was much whiter in color. Gwen was still wearing her soccer gloves, but she was doing her best with very little.
Ben looked around and noticed all the glass amidst the road. "So, I'm assuming things aren't going very well?" Ben asked.
Max nodded. "It's chaotic, Ben. We need to find a way to keep this thing on the ground." Max stated.
Gwen cleared her throat. "Where's Kevin?" Gwen asked.
Ben sighed. "He's alright, for now. I'm leaving the next part of our not-so-solid plan to him." Ben explained.
Max raised an eyebrow in confusion. "And what exactly is this plan of yours, Ben?" Max asked.
Before Ben could say a word, the sound of glass crunching and something huge rolling through began to get closer. Max, Earl, Gwen and Ben peaked out from behind the Rust Bucket, seeing Kevin. His skin, his hair, his clothes, they were all now the same color and texture of the rubber bands that made up the ball he was now rolling down the street. "Okay, twinkle toes. Time to go home!" Kevin exclaimed.
Kevin sends pieces of rubber-band flying in every direction, which causes even more damage. Though the Megawhatt seems to actually be stunned and losing power due to the rubber draped onto its body, Kevin was shooting out more rubber bands from his wrists, wrapping up the Nosedeenian and negating the electrical charge. Kevin then bounced the rubber band ball into the air, then hopped onto the ground, grabbing the Megawhatt and throwing it into the rubber band ball, containing it once again.
Kevin gets under the ball and catches it, gently setting it down as the rubber layer on Kevin's body fades away. Ben and Gwen were surprised, but also amazed by Kevin's power, Earl just seemed pretty happy that the problem was taken care of, and Max was concerned. "Hey, you guys wanna help me get this thing back to the barn, or is this on me?" Kevin asked in a joking manner.
Ben and Gwen smiled as they walked over to help Kevin push the ball back to the barn. Max, at this point, was just short of falling flat. His plans to have a normal and comfortable summer, were essentially reduced to ash. But, he did feel a sense of pride, nostalgia and appreciation, looking at those three kids smiling, laughing, having a good time, even despite what all just occurred, it reminded him of better days.
After a brief explanation to the locals, the workers were busy getting everything back to normal before the attack. In the mean time, The Tennysons were essentially shopping for clothes and snacks, and amidst a few interesting articles of clothing, Gwen and Ben saw some stuff that would look fantastic on Kevin. "I mean, you know we gotta do this, right?" Gwen asked with a smile.
Ben smiled back. "Oh, I know what you mean. It's the least we can do." Ben stated.
Ben and Gwen grabbed a couple white t-shirts, cyan wristbands and brown cargo shorts, paying for them as they stuff them in bags. As the Tennysons went back to the RV, they saw Earl waiting for them.
"You folks done right by us," Earl moved forward as he knelt down on one knee, holding something in his hand. "As the Mayor of Sparksville, I humbly repay you for your acts of heroism. That's fancy for, I fixed up your motorhome and gave it some proper tune-ups. Just incase you ever decide to get back in the business, just press the big green button on the dash." Earl explained, giving Max a keychain with a new key for the RV.
Max chuckled. "You're too kind, Earl," Earl got up and shook Max's hand. "Hope this adventure wasn't a big setback for Sparksville." Max said apologetically.
Earl smiled. "More like giant step forward, partner. With the Megawhatt trapped back inside the rubber band ball, its charge has been lessened by a substantial amount. It's even gettin' friendlier with the locals and tourists. A living legend, alien or not, will rake in the big bucks. That Megawhatt will work off the damage, and will be treated humanely, as long as it doesn't cause anymore trouble." Earl explained.
Max smiled as he got in the RV, with the kids following suite. The RV began to drive away, with Earl shouting one more thing. "Y'all come back to visit every now and then! You Tennysons are always welcome in Sparksville!" Earl called out.
As the Rust Bucket leaves Sparksville, it's clear that the Tennysons have been pretty stiff since they left. Kevin's worried about his mutation, Ben's worried about his friend and what problems he might have, Gwen's concerned about her grandfather's secret, and Max is uncertain of what the future may hold, especially for those three kids. Whatever the case may be, they all know one thing for sure. They'll have each other's backs, no matter what.
Several hours pass back in Sparksville. The cover of night allows a shadowy individual or two to leap through the darkness, only for them to end up at the barn. They witness the Megawhatt, wearing the bandages as like, some kind of ceremonial garb, draining batteries as it lounges within the confines of the rubber band ball.
The two figures get a fair distance away, revealing themselves to be Wall-Crawl and Bat. Bat was now dressed in a black latex suit with a Bat-like cowl masking his face, armored with gray metal plates and small splashes of gold coloring or golden accents, with a big white Bat emblem on his chestplate. Wall-Crawl was dressed in the same stealth suit he wore when meeting up with Watch-Men back in New York, with the only difference is that his costume was now dressed in dark red, a faded blue, and a big white spider emblem on his chest.
Bat pressed a button on one of his wrists, activating a communications device. "Madame, it's Bat and Wall-Crawl, reporting in. Do you Copy? Over." Bat spoke into the communicator.
"Bruce, good to hear from you. Nice to know Mr. Parker found you, too. What's the status on Sparksville? Over." Madame ordered.
Wall-Crawl got in close, hanging upside down by a single thread of webbing. "We've been better, but things aren't looking good, ma'am. The Megawhatt, it's been rendered docile, a viewpoint for attractions to make a profit. It seems to be distracted, pampered like a spoiled brat, shall we intercept and capture? Over." Wall-Crawl asked.
There was a moment of silence, then Madame spoke again. "Negative. Clearly the Tennysons got ahead of us, but it's not the end of the world. Can I rely on you two to keep an eye out for the Tennysons next time? We can't risk them finding out about us, not until we've properly prepared. Over." Madame stated, sounding urgent.
Bat and Wall-Crawl looked at each other, then back at the communicator. "Any further instructions, Madame? Over." Bat inquired.
Another deafening moment of silence. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop amidst the calm, undisturbed blades of grass. "Keep a watchful eye on them, mainly from afar. If they spot you, do not engage. I repeat, DO NOT ENGAGE. Do I make myself clear, Over." Madame ordered.
The two of them remained silent. "I'll take your stunned silence as a Yes. You'll also have orders to watch out for Watch-Men. He's been off our radar for a few days, and we can't connect to his communicator. I don't want to make pointless accusations or speculations, but I fear that Watch-Men has gone rogue. Over." Madame explained.
"Understood. We'll be on radio silence till we have something worth reporting back. Over and out." Bat stated.
"Over and out. Be careful, boys." Madame stated, communications shutting down.
Wall-Crawl lands on the ground feet first, pulling off his mask, revealing Peter, the cop who took a sample from Zombozo's ashy confetti remains. "So, we're in hot water, aren't we?" Peter asked casually.
Bat pulled back his cowl, revealing a man in his early to mid-twenties, his face gray with after-shave. "Hot water would imply that we're the ones in the hot seat. No, it's Watch-Men and those kids who're in hot water. You with me on this, or are you more of a chicken than a spider, man?" Bruce asked.
Peter thought about that for a moment, only to smile and pull his mask back on. Bruce pulled his cowl over his eyes and nodded. "Good answer, now let's try to close the gap between us, and the Tennysons." Bat remarked.
Bat and Wall-Crawl hid themselves back in the shadows, following the direction that the Rust Bucket went hours ago.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And that was Tourist Trappin', an alternate take on 'Tourist Trap'. As you can clearly tell, most of the episode was altered. There was no monster solar system, no fight at the dam, The Megawhatt never got split into two, or more of itself, and speaking of the Megawhatt, Kevin ended up mutating, and Ben might have a neat surprise in the near future, in the form of a familiar battery alien.
1 - PLOT
As you can tell, I changed the plot once again, this will be a recurring thing till we finally get to Season 2, which is getting closer, but for now, we're gonna focus on the plot of this episode.
I already liked Tourist Trap. It's not my favorite episode, not even in my top ten. It's still a neat episode, though. I feel like the changes I made, they do matter, considering the Megawhatt is not stuck in a lightbulb this time around, and working around/working with the odd retcons the original show runners/writers had made, and trying to make it all make sense.
2 - KEVIN & HIS RETCONS, AND WHAT I PLAN TO DO
Yeah, I'm gonna tackle this right now.
Kevin and his retcons, from mutant, to alien, to... whatever the hell he is, it bothered the hell out of me, and confused me to no end, it still confuses me. I know everyone and their mother, even their dogs, cats, and sleep paralysis demons have talked and debated Kevin's origins, and why the retcons either make sense, or don't work at all.
So, to try and find a compromise, I want to try blending his alien and mutant backstories together. Something that explains his powers, the people in Kevin's life or the lives of his parents, you get the picture.
3 - THE OMNITRIX
I want to show that the Omnitrix can adapt to its user. In the original series, when Ben wants a specific alien, it's like the Omnitrix usually gives him the wrong transformation, so Ben has to make do with what the watch gives him.
In this story, I've showed that Ben has been trying to understand the Omnitrix, and not attempt to force something to happen. Sure, the Omnitrix is still a prototype, but the more the Omnitrix adapts to its user, bonding to their DNA, I imagine that the Omnitrix would get a much better understanding of the one who wears it, and try to replicate that through how it develops, allowing the user to be better and more proficient when the situation calls for it.
This will come into play later on in the story.
4 - THE OTHER STORY
By now, you've seen something happen in this story in a chapter or two, something that seems like another story is developing. This is my attempt at differentiating this story even more from the original material. Vilgax was like the B-Plot of Season 1. This, is like, the C-Plot, and it takes a bit longer to conclude, but it'll be well worth it.
And that should be all I have to say, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. In the next primary chapter, Gwen will be getting some proper development. Talk about Lucky.
The next short will delve into Kevin's mind.
