NOTE: If you've gotten any notifications from this story that was just me fixing up some of the previous chapters. I'm still going through that, so yeah. I'm just going back and adding in details that I missed the first time or correcting some grammar/spelling. An example would be having Ben apologize to Haru, because I forgot to do that the first time.

I think that's all I really need to talk about at the moment.

Enjoy and Review

Chapter 51: The Visitor

Far up north in the Arctic, a space pod was opened up by a couple of men. They were shocked to see a strange looking woman with mint green skin, with two tentacles on her head. Her three pink eyes opened up, glowing and terrifying the men who had found her.

She stepped out of the space pod, a big groggy from awakening from her stasis. The woman watched the men run away on their jet ski but paid them no mind afterwards. She remembered her mission and narrowed her eyes at the night sky. "The Omnitrix…!"


OP: Ancient Romantic by P-Maru Sama

Ancient Romantic!

(U! Ha! U! Ha!)

(U! Ha! U! Ha!)

A rotating shot of the Omnitrix comes into view before latching onto Ben's wrist. He's seen standing with Yukiko, Gwen, and Max in front of the Rustbucket.

For a split second the landscape around them glitches out as purple lighting cracks the sky above.

The miracle of humankind that I met at once was a loss if neither Edison nor Watson knew (Loss!)

Ben stands on top of a broken spaceship, staring out at the clear blue sky above him.

Below him was Yukiko, who stood in the shadows of the ship. Her eyes transfixed on her tarot card.

Mr. N was surprised at such a situation since the earth was created (Unexpected!)

Gwen walked past the two, her eyes focused on her spell book. She shut the book instantly, her eyes glowing with blue mana.

Max stood in the back and in his hands was a broken picture frame.

The ancient civilization and the school playground that I ran yesterday are all connected.

The scenery changed to Inaba. Yukiko is seen running through the town with the rest of the Investigation Team.

SHATTER!

Yukiko was now running around with the Tennysons. Ben, happily leading the charge with the Omnitrix ready.

SHATTER!

Yukiko was smiling brightly, her arms draped around Ben's chest as he proudly stood in front of her. His face is full of confidence and aspirations.

SHATTER!

Older versions of Ben, Yukiko, Gwen, Max, and Yu appeared. The Tennysons were standing around the married couple as Yukiko held a small blue bundle of blankets in her hands. She smiled warmly at her newborn baby.

The invitation to unravel the true nature of this romance is an initiation from ancient times.

Ben sat inside of a blue limousine. In front of him were both Igor and Maragret, the attendant holding a large blue book in her hands.

Sitting next to Ben was Yu, whose tarot card expanded into a blinding flash of light.

All members! Go in! Aye-aye!

Ben charged into battle first, slapping down the dial and transforming into Four Arms. Gwen came in next, hands glowing bright with mana. Yukiko summoned Sumeo-Okami, unleashing waves of fire. Max joined his grandkids, his own personal blaster ready to battle.

Let's dance in such an era! Dancing all right!

Yu appeared next with his sword drawn. Izanagi jumped out from behind him, his blade sparking with white electricity.

Naoto Shirogane dropped down in front of him with her gun pointed at the screen. Her Persona: Yamato-Takeru appeared next to her in a flash of light.

Rise Kujikawa descended downwards gracefully, with her eyes closed shut. Her Persona: Kanzeon had appeared behind Rise. Placing a red-colored headset over her user's eyes.

Rehabilitation! Introspection! I'll do it one after another! The past and the future are all mixed together!

Yukiko, Ben, and Gwen stood across from their future counterparts. The future versions were smiling proudly at the three. Ben 10K and Ben clasped their hands in a firm grip, their Omnitrix's glowing brightly with a green flash.

Collapse! Situation! Hurry up!

A familiar looking creature appeared dressed in shadows, its purple eye glistening with malicious fury.

The feelings of hundreds of millions of years are romantic over!

Three new aliens appeared on the screen. A Frankenstien's monster, a werewolf, and a mummy all stood in front of a large satellite. Above them the sun transformed into a massive purple eyeball.

March! Send! Do in! Do in Love! There is one love in any era!

The Rustbucket was speeding towards the satellite with its boosters activated. The Tennysons inside were determined to stop whatever was about to happen.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, you can see!

Chie, Yosuke, Kanji, Teddie, Nanako, Rise, and Naoto held each letter as they flashed across the screen.

H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, you caught!

For the last remaining letters were each held by Ben's aliens as they flashed across the screen.

Ancient Romantic!

Yukiko fell through the air, but Ben managed to reach her in time. His hand grabbed her's and a bright light enveloped them both. They were now standing in front of the Rustbucket with the rest of the Tennysons and the Investigation Team.

(U! Ha! U! Ha!)

(U! Ha! U! Ha!)


Yukiko happily entertained herself with a good horror book. She and her family had stopped at the park to relax for a bit before continuing their road trip. Taking a quick glance up from her book, Yukiko smiled at the sight of Gwen flying a kite. Since their trip had been filled with so many world-saving escapades, it was nice to relax a bit and see her cousins acting like kids. Though, considering she could only see Gwen made Yukiko realize something. "Wait where's-"

"RAWR!" A large shadow jumped over her before she could finish the question. Yukiko watched as Wildmutt ran towards Gwen, stealing her kite for himself.

Yukiko pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course…"

"Ben! I'm telling Grandpa!" Gwen yelled before realizing something. The young sorceress took out her spell book, grinning evilly at Wildmutt's back. "Amorous Infecta!" Gwen casted a charm spell that made every dog in the park fall in love with Wildmutt. The Vulpimancer released the kite, running for his life as the horny dogs were coming for him. Gwen just sighed happily at her revenge. "I just love it when things work out."

"Snrk! Hahahaha!" Yukiko couldn't help but laugh as she watched Wildmutt climb up a tree like a cat to avoid the dogs. She walked over to Gwen, patting the girl on the head. "Okay, Gwen, I think Ben learned his lesson. You can turn it off now before Ben gets hurt."

"I don't know how."

"Eh?"

The tree branch couldn't hold Wildmutt any longer and gave out just as the Omnitrix was timing out.

FLASH!

"YAAAH!" The girls watched as the dogs all jumped at Ben. The boy cried for help as the dogs continued to have their way with him.

"Ben!" Yukiko's motherly instincts kicked in and she bolted for her little cousin. The heiress generated a tiny bit of fire to spook the dogs. "Shoo! That's enough from you all!" Her action worked, and the dogs scattered away in fear. With them gone she turned to Ben. "Ben, are you okay-geh!?" Yukiko covered her nose as a nasty smell entered her nose. Looking down at Ben she saw that the boy was covered in dog slobber. The sight would've been comical if he didn't smell like a slightly fresh Stinkfly. "You need a bath." She said, scrunching her face slightly.

Gwen walked over, holding her nose as well. "I hope you learned your lesson, dweeb."

Ben glared at her. "Haha, very funny! I'll get you back for it." Ben promised as he stood back up to his feet, shaking all of the dog slobber off.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Gwen rolled her eyes.

"I think that's enough fun for now, you two. Let's get back to Grandpa." Yukiko said. Her cousins agreed and started following her, but Yukiko held up her fan in front of Ben.

"What?"

"Don't walk too close to us until you've had a bath."

"Ugh…" Ben groaned, rolling his eyes.


The kids eventually made their way back to Max with Ben walking a bit further from his female cousins. Yukiko was about to call out to him, but she noticed the sullen atmosphere surrounding the old man. The heiress was confused by her grandfather's mood until she saw where he was looking. Max was watching an old couple leisurely strolling through the park. "Grandpa…"

Gwen noticed his mood as well. "Grandpa seems pretty bummed."

"Really?" Ben walked over to Max. "Hey, Grandpa! What's wrong?"

Max was a bit startled by Ben's sudden shout. "O-oh, nothing. I'm just fine, kids." He kept his eyes on the old couple. "I just need a little time to myself, that's all."

Yukiko gently pulled Ben away from Max. "Don't worry, Grandpa. Take all the time you need, we'll go do something else." She and her little cousins left for the playground, much to Ben's confusion.


"What's wrong with you two? Y'know, other than the obvious!" Ben asked as he rested on the grass. The girls were sitting next to him, and Yukiko took this chance to brush Gwen's hair a bit. The heiress had noticed it was growing longer by the day and couldn't help but want to help keep it looking as nice as possible.

"How much do you two know about Grandma?" Yukiko asked them. The heiress knew very little about her father's side of the family, but knew all of her mother's. Which was just her grandmother until the old woman passed away a few years prior. She hadn't asked about their grandmother at all to be considerate of Max and her father's feelings, but maybe that should change.

"All we know is that Grandpa and Grandma met in St. Louis." Gwen answered.

"True." Ben stared at the weird looking clouds. "Mom and Dad never speak much of her other than she's alive and well."

Gwen hummed, thinking back to something. "I remember back when we got off the Mega Cruiser when Grandpa talked to me, he had mentioned Grandma. He said that she enjoys doing her own things."

"So, she's a free spirit, huh?" Yukiko sighed. The heiress could remember the look on her mother's face whenever her father left for some business trips. She had the same look in her eyes as Max did. "Grandpa must be feeling lonely."

Ben scoffed. "Shows what you two know! How can he be lonely when he has us?"

Yukiko shook her head. "There's a certain kind of gap in a person's heart that we can't fill, Ben. He misses his other half and that's something that we can't reciprocate for him."

"Other half?"

"You'll get it when you're older." Yukiko sighed.

"EEEEKKK!"

The Tennyson kids perked up at the sound of children screaming. Turning to the playground, they saw an alien woman with mint green skin walking through the area. She looked straight at them, then her eyes glowed pink with fury as she saw the Omnitrix on Ben's wrist. A purple haze of energy surrounded Ben, lifting him into the air. "The Omnitrix! Where did you get it!? Answer me-BAH!" The woman was knocked back by a fireball.

"You're going to regret threatening him." Yukiko declared, marching forward.

The woman stood back up, hissing slightly at the burns dealt to her. "I don't know who you are, child, but you don't want to stand in my way!" The alien activated her telepathic abilities to transform the swing set into a spear. She was going to toss it at Yukiko until several wood chips were shot at her. The alien quickly used the spear to deflect the projectiles, when the attack had finished she saw Gwen standing to the side with her hand glowing brightly.

"Oh, but trust me, we love getting in people's way." Gwen said.

Ben activated the Omnitrix, dialing up Heatblast. "Especially, when they're some two-bit alien bad guy after the watch!" Ben quipped before slapping down the dial. Heatblast pulled back his arms. "And just like I told the last guy, it ain't for sale, lady!" Heatblast unleashed a megaton blast at the alien woman. When the flames cleared she was nowhere to be seen. "What the-where!?"

"Above!" Yukiko's callout alerted them to look up. The kids saw the woman hovering in the air, bringing down the spear at Heatblast. The Pyronite and Yukiko both melted the spear into nothing with a combined attack. The alien woman clicked her tongue at the challenge presented before her. Kids just always had to be stubborn, didn't they?

She used her powers to turn the rest of the playground into two massive floating gauntlets. With a flick of her wrist, she brought the hammer down on the meddlesome pests. Heatblast attempted to melt these ones too, but his blast wasn't as strong as he anticipated. "Oh, crud!" The first one smashed into him, plowing him into the ground. His cousins ducked out of the way of the second one, but unfortunately for them, the gauntlet's finger flicked Yukiko, knocking her into Gwen. The girls tumbled across the park ground, groaning in pain.

With the girls knocked back, she turned her attention to the Omnitrix bearer and was prepared to get her answers from him until a blue beam knocked her out of the skies. Turns out it was Max, decked out in his Plumber gear with a blaster rifle in his hands. "That was your only warning shot, now get away from my grandkids!"

"Grandpa!" Gwen and Yukiko shouted, happily.

The woman flinched from the sound of his voice. "That voice…" She stood up, turning around to face Max. "Max!?"

The ex-plumber was shocked to see who the woman was. "Xylene!? Is that you!?"

The girls blinked owlishly at the scene before them. "Uh… are we missing some context?" Gwen asked.

"Uh huh." Yukiko nodded her head.

FWOOSH!

BOOM!

Everyone jumped when one of the gauntlets exploded into metal chunks. Heatblast stood in the small crater, obviously pissed off. "Alright, squid-lady! This time I'm gonna turn ya into fried calamari!" Heatblast marched out of the crater, a fireball sizzling in his palm.

"Ben, wait! She's not an enemy!" Max stopped his grandson.

"Eh, what?" Heatblast tilted his head.

Xylene, now snapped out of her own fury, gazed at the kids. Her eyes allowed her to notice how the girls felt similar to Max, even the boy in his transformed state. "Max, are these children yours?"

"Yes, they're my grandkids." Max answered.

"I see." She said, then ignored the three to focus on Max, blushing as she stared at his face. Xylene approached the ex-plumber before wrapping him up in a hug. "It's nice to see you again, Max." The ex-plumber hesitated for a few seconds before returning the hug.

"Uh… am I the only one feeling like we're missing some context?" Heatblast asked.

"Already asked that, doofus." Gwen said.

"I didn't know!"

As the two bickered Yukiko watched the two adults with narrowed eyes, especially Xylene.


THREE HOURS LATER:

The Tennysons and Xylene were now resting at a camping spot, and the two adults have been doing nothing but catching up for the last three hours. Ben played around with their worm stew, glaring at Xylene's back. He wasn't the only one as Yukiko was doing the same thing, unfortunately the woman couldn't care less for the stares she was receiving from them. "She's been here for three hours and she hasn't said anything to us!" Ben complained. "You'd think we were invisible or something!"

"Don't take it so hard, they're just catching up." Gwen didn't see any harm in it.

"She wants to do a little more than just catching up." Yukiko grumbled. Gwen rolled her eyes at the two of them. Sometimes Ben and Yukiko act a little too similar in her opinion. You'd think they were siblings if you ignored their outward appearances.

"Look, it isn't as bad as you guys are making it out to be. Watch." Gwen said before turning to Xylene and Max. "So, how did you two meet?"

Max answered. "Xylene and I go way back to my first days in the Plumbers." He put a hand on her shoulder and Xylene softly wrapped a tentacle around his arm. If anyone was paying attention, they would've noticed how Yukiko's spoon was bending from her pressure.

"You even made me an honorary Plumbette." Xylene giggled. The woman took a glance at her meal before scooping it up with her tongue, grossing out the kids. "Delicious~."

Max smiled at the complement. "It's nice to finally have someone around here who appreciates my cooking."

"I appreciate your cooking, Grandpa!" Yukiko cried.

"Then, why haven't you taken a bite yet?" The heiress sputtered with a blush from the question. If there was anything the heiress hated, it was being inconsiderate of someone else's feelings, so she quickly took a bite of the worm chow. Her face turned green from disgust, but Yukiko forced it down with all of her power. For some reason she felt as if the universe was laughing at her again.

"So, Xylene, what brings you back to Earth after all these years?" Max asked.

"That!" Xylene pointed at the Omnitrix, causing Ben and Yukiko to get defensive. The heiress wrapped the boy up in her arms, blocking Ben from Xylene's view.

"I knew it! She's just like all the rest! She's only interested in the Omnitrix!" Ben exclaimed. Yukiko hissed venomously at Xylene like a snake protecting its eggs.

Max acted quickly to calm them down. "Calm down! Xylene, tell them that's not true."

The alien woman was unbothered by the claims. "Why wouldn't I be interested in the Omnitrix? I am the one who sent it to Earth." The reveal shocked the Tennysons greatly. Seeing that she had their attention Xylene began her tale. "I was transporting the Omnitrix when I was attacked by our old friend…"


Xylene's ship maneuvered through space, dodging constant fire from Vilgax. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep it up and was taking too much damage. Turning on her targeting system, she fired some shots at Vilgax's ship and destroyed a few drones.

CRASH!

Xylene hurried to the storage of her ship to see that a few drones had invaded. They were crushed immediately by her powers. "Realizing I could no longer protect the Omnitrix from Vilgax, I placed it in a special pod." After making sure the watch was secure, she prepared to leave in her own pod as well, unfortunately Vilgax unleashed a much more devastating attack at her ship, destroying it completely. The Omnitrix was launched down to Earth, while she crashed with the remains of her ship. "It was launched onto the planet below for safekeeping and I crashed somewhere else. I fell into a hibernated sleep as a result."


Yukiko had wondered why a device such as the Omnitrix would randomly land on Earth of all places. But she never thought she'd get an answer to that question, but all mysteries have an answer. It was only a matter of time before this one was solved.

"Well you don't have to worry about Vilgax anymore. Thanks to Ben here, he's cooling his claws in the Null Void." Ben puffed his chest at the praise from his grandfather, Yukiko gave him an affectionate headpat.

Xylene rolled her eyes, not believing for a second that a snot-nosed brat could possibly beat Vilgax. She turned to Max, giving him a cute smile. "Oh, I'm sure you're just modest about your role in all that."

Yukiko glared at the alien homewrecker. "Excuse you?"

"Excuse me?" Xylene turned to her.

"Ben, did defeat Vilgax. Twice in fact! Do not speak ill of things you don't know anything about!"

"Yukiko!" Max's stern call made her flinch. "It's fine." He understood that Yukiko didn't want Ben's achievements to be undermined, but she knew better than to be rude to a guest. Sometimes she was a little too defensive when it came to Ben.

"S-sorry, Grandpa." Yukiko apologized, but her glare at Xylene didn't falter at all.

Xylene just smiled at the kids, not taking them seriously. Raising her remote to the skies, Xylene summoned her ship from the arctic. "My transportation will be on its way shortly."

"In the meantime, you'll be our guest. We can use the time to catch up." Max wrapped an arm around Xylene's waist, much to Yukiko's shock. "I'm sure you kids won't mind cleaning all of this up, right?" He said before they walked away into the woods.

"I don't like her." Ben said.

"Really? I never would've guessed." Gwen said sarcastically.

"Remember what happened the last time someone from Grandpa's past popped up? Phil?" Ben reminded Gwen.

"Yes, and I distinctly remember Naoto's Grandfather wasn't a crazy jerk who tried to kill us. Just cut them some slack." Gwen argued.

"Ben." The two younger kids turned to Yukiko, who hadn't said much of a word for a bit. "Keep an eye on those two."

Ben smiled evilly, happy to see that Yukiko was thinking more like him for once. "I was already planning on it." He activated the Omnitrix and dialed up Wildvine.

FLASH!

"I'm telling you this is a bad idea!" Gwen yelled as Wildvine disappeared into the woods. Her words fell on deaf ears, so she turned to the only other person with her. "What's your deal!? Grandpa just wants to catch up with an old friend!"

"Gwen." Yukiko's voice was tight and stern. "Would an old friend blush brightly and hug their friend tightly?"

"Well… no."

"Would an old friend flutter her eyes and trace circles on their friend's chest?"

"No…"

"Would an old friend get all touchy and feely with that friend if they were simply catching up?"

"...No."

"Would you wrap your arm around that old friend's waist, pull them close, and then walk alone into the forest with them?"

"N-no…" Gwen answered again. "Y-Yukiko… you're kinda scaring me." The young girl stepped back a bit from the intense aura pulsating off of Yukiko. Especially when Yukiko turned around to face her.

"Gwen."

"Y-yes?"

"I'm going to teach you exactly what you should do when another woman tries to step foot in your territory." Gwen didn't know exactly what she was about to hear, but she had a feeling she'd never forget it for the rest of her life.


Now walking peacefully alone together in the woods, Xylene took a good long look at Max. He had gained some weight and had aged, he was still the same Maxwell Tennyson she had developed feelings for all those years ago. Though, there was a nagging thought at the back of her head and it involved his grandkids. "So, those youngsters of yours… never expected you to be a family man."

"I don't think anyone really does until it happens." Max replied.

"But don't you miss it? The adventures, the fighting, the escapes, and the stars? How could you settle for being… normal?" Xylene asked. The Max she knew never would've thought about being normal and loved the thrill for adventure and action. It was why she fell in love with the man in the first place.

Max thought about her question for a few seconds, the words poking his brain like pin needles. He could remember his younger days and how the idea of settling down with a family seemed like a waste of time to him. There was so much to do in life and so much to explore that just stopping would be the wrong move. People are told from a young age to not waste their lives, and that's exactly what he always avoided. "Well… I can't say that I don't miss any of it, but we've had plenty of excitement around here. Especially with that little gift you left us."

Xylene gave a soft smile. "You haven't changed at all since I last saw you."

"Bleg!" Wildvine, who had merged with a tree, gagged. "If this keeps up I'm gonna hurl sap."

"Do you remember that night?" Xylene asked, gazing up at the moon.

"Of course, I do." Max replied, the memory bubbling up to the surface of his mind.


SEVERAL YEARS AGO:

Xylene, dressed in a sleeveless gray jumpsuit, prepared to leave Earth on her ship. She stood across from a younger Max, Phil, and Kenji. "Rumor has it that there's a new DNA weapon out there. Sure you won't change your mind and come with me?"

Max frowned at her. "Tempting, but until I bring Vilgax down, I have a job to do here. But we'll always have Roswell." The human/alien couple sealed their goodbye with a kiss.


Xylene closed the distance between them, putting her arms around his shoulders. "With Vilgax out of the picture, there's nothing keeping you here. I want you-I mean-I could use your help out there."

"Another tempting offer…" Max's response shocked Wildvine. The hero hadn't expected his grandfather to actually consider what Xylene was saying and took off back to the campsite to tell his cousins. In his hurry, he didn't get to hear what Max had fully said to Xylene.


Ben rushed back to the campsite, seeing that the dishes had been put up, but there was something up with Gwen. The young girl was staring off into space as if she had just discovered the secrets of the universe. "Uh… what's up with Gwen?" He asked Yukiko, who was patiently waiting for him next to Gwen.

"Nothing you need to worry about." She dismissed his question. "Now, what were the homewrecker and Grandpa talking about?"

"Homewrecker…?" Ben mumbled before getting to the point. "We should've just kicked her butt back off to outer space when we had the chance! She wants to take Grandpa back out to space and leave us behind!"

The heiress' face grew murderous instantly. "Why that no good…" Yukiko growled. "Nobody steals my Grandpa and lives to tell about it!" Yukiko was ready to march out into the woods to confront Xylene, but something large jumped down in front of her.

THUD!

The noise snapped Gwen out of her stupor, she and her cousins gasped at the sight of one of Vilgax's drones stomping towards them. The drone whipped out two robotic tentacles to crush them, but the kids ran out of the way in time. It started dragging its tentacles through the ground after them to mow them down like grass. To add to its attack, it released several mini missiles to blow them apart.

"Isn't that one of Vilgax's robot buddies!?" Gwen asked.

Yukiko looked back, smashing her tarot card. "Maragion!" Her fire collided with the missiles, the explosion pushed them further away from the drone. "I was hoping we'd never have to see one again!"

"It must be after the Omnitrix!" Ben glared at the bot and charged forward, much to Yukiko's shock. He ignored her cries and sprinted up the rocky ramp that was torn from the ground. "You want this!?" Ben raised the Omnitrix, dialing up Four Arms. The drone released several missiles that collided with Ben just as he jumped off the ledge!

FLASH!

BOOM!

"HYAH! You better take it from me!" Four Arms challenged, descending onto the drone.

Max and Xylene arrived back at the campsite after hearing all of the explosions. The adults found themselves shocked at the sight of Ben and the girls fighting off one of Vilgax's drones. "What in the world!?" Max cried.

Xylene entered the fray, flying up to Four Arms, who was busy punching the bot. "I can handle this! I don't need your help!" Four Arms barked at her. Yukiko pelted the bot with several fireballs as Gwen was searching for a spell that could dismantle the robot. Xylene broke apart the ground, setting the drone off balance, knocking Four Arms off, and leaving it open for Max to shoot it with his rifle.

"Aw, screw it!" Gwen shut her book. "Emocha Objectia!" The blue bolt blasted the side of the drone, giving Four Arms his chance to grab it but Xylene had acted as well. She tossed the drone into the air, accidentally throwing it towards the Rustbucket.

Seeing as it was outmatched and outpowered, the drone started taking parts from the Rustbucket to upgrade itself. "It's taking over the Rustbucket!" Gwen cried. The drone had grown even larger and stronger, towering over the Tennysons and Xylene.

Before it could try stomping them into paste, Four Arms grabbed its tentacles to hold it back. The drone fired a laser at the Tetramand, blowing him back and destroying the Rustbucket.

"Ben!" Yukiko cried. Max grabbed her and pulled her back behind some rocks to avoid getting blown to pieces. Yukiko crushed her tarot card. "Agidyne!" The large fireball smashed into the robot pushing it back. "Agidyne!" The heiress unleashed another one, destroying one of its legs with the attack.

"RAH!" Four Arms jumped back onto the robot, tearing it apart with all of his pent up aggression until the machine stopped moving. When the fight was over, Four Arms approached his grandfather. "Sorry, about the Rustbucket, Grandpa. Guess, I got a little carried away."

"Not your fault, sport. You couldn't have expected it to hit you like that." Max shook his head. Four Arms still felt guilty for getting his grandfather's home wrecked like that.

Yukiko walked over to the remains of the Rustbucket and smiled at the sight of their belongings. "Huh, it seems all of our stuff survived. Not sure how though."

"Protection spell. After the last few times the Rustbucket got hit by our fights I figured I could make sure none of our stuff got damaged." Gwen answered.

"And you couldn't do the same for the Rustbucket?" Four Arms raised a brow.

Gwen glared back at him. "Hindsight is 20/20, okay!"

Unknown to the group, a sentient piece of the drone slithered off further into the woods.


Max screwed in one of the headlights of the Rustbucket. "Guess, that mechadroid was the same one that fell to Earth with you." The motorhome had mostly been put back together, mostly thanks to Xylene's abilities since Ben got turned into Diamonhead instead of Upgrade.

Gwen and Yukiko picked up some of the fallen pieces of the Rustbucket. "And it seemed to be able to do that merging thing like the other ones." Gwen said.

"Apparently they developed the ability to amalgamate mechanical devices to fulfill their programming: Retrieving the Omnitrix." Xylene explained.

"Wait, but one of them fused with a human before. And humans aren't mechanical." Yukiko pointed out, noticing the flaw in the explanation.

"It's true that the drones will combine with mechanical devices, but fusion with a living organism is possible if something of technology happens to be in close proximity with their person. All in order to achieve their goal." Xylene answered perfectly, much to Yukiko's annoyance. The Uxorite turned to Diamondhead. "You are sure the mechadroid was destroyed, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm sure the mechadroid was destroyed!" Diamondhead replied with snark. "Give me a break." He pushed past her to gather the rest of the Rustbucket's parts, eliciting a glare from Xylene.

Diamondhead picked up two pieces, trying to see if they fit together. Yukiko gave him a flat stare as she watched him push the parts together as if it was a puzzle. "Ben, those parts don't go together."

"What? They totally do." Diamondhead refuted.

"No, doofus, the left one is smaller than the right." Gwen pointed out.

"As if you can tell."

"I can tell, you're just incapable of telling shapes."

As the kids argued with each other, Xylene floated up to the roof of the motorhome with Max. She stared at Diamondhead for a few moments before talking. "You know… if you really want to be helpful, a Galvanic Mechamorph would've been more appropriate."

Diamondhead wanted to glare at her with a response, but he had no idea who she was referring to. So, he turned to his grandfather for an answer. "She means Upgrade." Max answered.

"Yeah, well, you're not the boss of me!" Diamondhead yelled at Xylene.

"Meaning that the watch gave him the wrong alien." Gwen said.

"Shut up!" Diamondhead turned his glare at her.

"C'mon, Ben, Xylene probably does know a thing or two about the Omnitrix. Maybe you should listen to her?" Max suggested, not liking how rude two out of three of his grandkids had been to Xylene.

"You're taking the homewrecker's side?" Yukiko asked, shocked.

"Yukiko!" Max exclaimed.

"Homewrecker…?" Xylene muttered.

"If I'm such a problem to you, then why did you give me the watch in the first place!?" Diamondhead asked.

Xylene's annoyance reached its peak with Ben's ignorant question. "I didn't send the Omnitrix to you! You found it by mistake before the Omnitirx could find its intended recipient." She motioned at Max, who was the intended target. "Max."

"What…?" Diamondhead and his cousins gasped.

"The pod containing it veered slightly off its intended course." Xylene said.

FLASH!

"I got the watch by mistake!?" Ben's mental fortitude took a massive hit. Yukiko and Gwen both tried to comfort him, but Xylene's next words would topple him over completely.

"Of course! You didn't actually believe that I would send the most powerful device in the universe to such an impatient, impudent, rude, and arrogant little brat, would you?" Her words were cold and sharp, stabbing through Ben like a blade.

"Xylene!" Max glared at her.

"What?" The woman didn't understand why Max was upset with her. All she was doing was telling the truth, his grandson was not a good choice for an Omnitrix bearer. "All it took me was one good look to see the poor condition the Omnitrix is in compared to the last time I saw it. It would be best to take the watch from-"

"FINE THEN!" Ben's shout had caught her off guard. If one was paying close attention they could see the water building up in the boy's eyes. "Take it back and see if I care! Then, you two can cruise around the universe and have all the fun you want! Because, we don't matter to you at all, huh, Grandpa!?" Ben's question shocked Max.

"Ben, what?"

"I heard it! The whole conversation between you and Xylene! How much you miss all the adventures you had in the past with her and her wanting to go back into space with you! But what about us!? Me, Gwen, Yukiko, Kenny, Mom, Dad, Aunt Natalie, and Uncle Frank!? Grandma, whoever the heck she is!" As much as he hated it, the boy couldn't stop the tears from coming down his face.

"Ben…" Max muttered, too shocked to say anything.

The boy turned to Xylene. "And you've been nothing but a bother since you showed up! We were all doing just fine until you tried to take him from us!" After saying his piece, Ben took off into the forest to get away from them all. His head was a cloudy mess that he didn't know how to clear.

"BEN!" Yukiko cried his name, but the boy kept running away from them. The heiress turned around to glare at Xylene. "I know that I tend to be blunt at times and fail to understand the atmosphere, but what you said was uncalled for." The air around Yukiko was blazingly hot, Gwen stepped away to avoid suffocating in the heat. "If you even try to take that watch from him or continue to hurt him I'll…"

"You'll what?" Xylene wasn't scared of the teenager.

"Then I'll make the sun look like a candle fire." After dropping the threat, Yukiko ran towards the direction that Ben had gone. Gwen stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, not too sure what she should say or do.

"Gwen."

"Y-yes, Grandpa?" She flinched from the softness of his voice. When she turned to him, the ex-plumber was staring at the moon.

"Go follow them, okay?"

"Alright." Gwen listened and chased after her cousins, leaving the adults alone.

Unlike all the times before, the air around them was tense and Xylene hated that. "Max-"

"Xylene, we need to talk."


Yukiko searched through the woods for her little cousin. The heiress was unbelievably pissed at Xylene for the harsh words she had carelessly said in front of Ben. She was shocked to hear that the Omnitrix was originally intended for her grandfather and it made sense that such a device wouldn't be left in the hands of a 10-year-old human child. But Xylene doesn't even know Ben and has been rude to him since they first met, only focusing on her unresolved feelings for Max.

What made everything even worse was that her grandfather was even giving into those old feelings, completely forgetting about their grandmother. It was never said or hinted that they weren't together, just that their relationship was mostly long distance. Such a disgraceful act of intimacy between a married man and an old love was taboo in Yukiko's eyes. The sight of Max and Xylene also reminded her of Rise and how much the idol would love to glue herself to Yu's side even after their relationship was revealed to their friends. That homewrecker was going to pay for-

SNIFF!

Yukiko stopped in her tracks after hearing that sniffle. Quietly, she moved closer to the sniffles until she found Ben sitting against a tree. His knees were curled up to his chest and he was crying softly. That was when Yukiko finally realized she had never seen Ben cry since meeting him. The boy was always so headstrong and confident in what he did that she tended to forget that he was still a child. "Ben?" She spoke softly.

He didn't look up at her, just continuing to cry. "Why?"

"Why, what?" She sat down next to him.

"Why can't I seem special even once?" Ben asked. "When I first got the Omnitrix, I couldn't believe that something so cool could have been found by me. It made me feel special just thinking about it and being the only person in the whole world who could use it. That maybe it was my destiny to use it, just like in comic books… but that wasn't true. I'm nobody special…"

"Ben…"

"Nobody ever expects anything of me, y'know? My teachers don't, nobody at school even acknowledges my existence, Aunt Natalie nor Uncle Frank do, Gwen doesn't, and not even my parents! I'm sure Grandpa doesn't either, all he cares about are his glory days. And the one thing that made me feel like I could finally do something wasn't even meant for me! Had one thing been different that night, then Grandpa would've had the Omnitrix! He never would've misused it, broke it, or turned someone into some genetic monster!" Ben stared at the Omnitrix, his face stained with tears and snot. "Nothing good has come from me having this."

"You saved my life."

"What?" Ben turned his head to her.

"You saved my life, saved Gwen and Grandpa, helped Tim gain confidence, saved the entire Earth from a space bug, defeated Vilgax twice, saved your future self, stopped several villains from conquering the planet, and you always fix your mistakes." Yukiko smiled at Ben. "You keep saying that nothing good has come from you having the Omnitrix or that you're not a hero, but you've done so much good for people that I can never believe you when you say that. So what if the Omnitrix wasn't meant for you, what matters is that you did find it. And that you've been using it to be a hero." Yukiko took some tissues out of her bag, cleaning Ben's face with them. "I think that matters more than what some homewrecker says."

Ben just stared at her as she finished cleaning away his tears and snot. A smile graced his features, which in Yukiko's opinion looked much better on him. "Yukiko?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"Always."

RUSTLE!

Ben and Yukiko turned around to see Gwen walking over to them. "Ben?"

"Gwen? Did you hear all of that?" Yukiko asked. She nodded her head, which made Ben's face heat up with embarrassment.

"Look, Ben. I'm sorry, if you think that I don't believe in you." Gwen's apology surprised the hero, it was rare to hear her apologize to him about anything. "I know that we tend to go pretty far with our jokes, but just know that I'm always willing to help you. We're family and I should've made that more clear a long time ago."

Ben was stunned from Gwen's apology, a warm feeling growing in his chest from the affection both his cousins were giving him. "Y-yeah.. Well, same! If you need me then I'll always be there to help you!"

Yukiko couldn't be happier than she was now to see Ben and Gwen growing closer together. It was nice to see them talking and not devolving into an argument. Perhaps this is when they'll start growing up a bit more.

"But what about Grandpa? Xylene is just gonna take the watch from me now and leave with him. There's nothing keeping him here." Ben frowned at the thought. Yukiko wasn't so sure about that, but before she could say anything a loud explosion disrupted the forest.

"That came from the campsite!" Gwen exclaimed. The three looked at each other before realizing something.

"GRANDPA!"


Upon arriving back at the campsite, the Tennyson kids were horrified to see that the mechadroid from earlier had returned and had taken their grandfather hostage, merging with him. "NO!" Ben cried.

"Let him go!" Yukiko was about to fire, but Gwen stopped her.

"Don't! You might hit Grandpa!"

The mechadroid took off, taking Max with it. "GRANDPA!" The three looked over and saw Xylene groaning in the dirt. Rushing over to her, Gwen and Yukiko helped the Uxorite back to her feet. As she was coming to, Gwen turned her glare to Ben. "You said you trashed that thing!"

"Gwen!" Yukiko hissed at her. Now wasn't the time to be playing the blame game.

"We all thought it was destroyed, but it doesn't matter now." Xylene said, rubbing her head. Yukiko was slightly disgusted that she agreed with the homewrecker.

"It doesn't?" Ben asked.

Yukiko was confused. "If that thing only wants the Omnitrix, then why did it take Grandpa?"

"Because it knows I'll come after it! It's a trap!" Ben exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Xylene was impressed he figured it out. "That's why-"

"Look!" Ben cut her off. "I know you're gonna give us the whole 'The Omnitrix is more important than any single being' lecture!"

"Well, it is." Xylene said bluntly.

"But no way are we letting that living junkyard hurt him!"

"I agree-"

"So, help us or get out of our-"

SMACK!

"OW!" Ben gripped the back of his head. "What the heck was that for!?" He glared at Yukiko.

"Ben, I understand, but let her finish." Yukiko put a hand on her hip.

"Thank you." Xylene sighed. "You're not the only ones who care about Max. If we work together, we can save him and the Omnitrix!"

"But, you're just gonna-"

"Quiet!" Xylene hissed at him, shutting him up. "I understand now about how you feel about me, but this isn't about me or any of you. And since you decided to sneak on our conversation earlier, it's obvious you didn't listen to the whole thing. Max, he-no, it'll be better for you all to hear it from his mouth instead." Xylene said. The Uxorite held out her hand. "Truce?" Gwen placed her hand on top of Xylene's hand. Yukiko followed and Ben begrudgingly added his hand as well.

Yukiko looked up at Xylene. "We'll work with you this time, homewrecker."

Xylene glared at the heiress. "Could you please stop calling me that!? Max told me what that word means!"

"Do you have a plan?" Gwen asked Xylene before an argument broke out.

The Uxorite sighed, trying to get back on track. "Time is crucial. Every minute we stand here it's collecting more and more items, becoming stronger for its final battle with us. Where would the mechadroid have access to the most mechanical items in this area?" Xylene asked.

"St. Louis is the largest river port in the United States." Gwen said.

"The docks!" Ben exclaimed.

"Then, let's go!" Yukiko exclaimed.


Ben scoured the docks on his hoverboard until he finally found the large mechadroid. The machine was absorbing ship parts, while using Max as a powersource. "Grandpa!"

Max opened his eyes after hearing Ben's cry. "B-Ben! Be careful! This thing has control over the nano tech in my Plumber suit!" And just to prove Max correct, the mechadroid activated his suit's wrist laser to kill Ben. The boy rolled out of the way and hid behind a shipping crate. "Do whatever it takes to bring this thing down! Even if it means… taking me with it!"

Ben's gaze hardened, refusing to let that be an option. "Sorry, Grandpa! Not an option!" He raised the Omnitrix to bait the robot. "Is this what you want!? I'll swap it, straight up! My Grandpa for the Omnitrix!"

"Ben… NO!" Max struggled to break free.

"We know what we're doing!" Ben informed him.

"We?" Max questioned until Xylene came flying out of one of the warehouses, landing on top of the crates.

"Max! We must stop meeting like this!" Xylene couldn't help but flirt. The mechadroid pointed the wrist laser at her and fired, but a blue shield protected her from the attack.

"Agilao!" Several small fireballs pelted the machine from the side, tipping it slightly. The mechadroid looked over to see Yukiko and Gwen standing on the roof of the warehouse. It turned its fire onto them, forcing the two to jump.

"Gwen! Yukiko!" Ben cried out.

Fortunately, Xylene rescued the two in time before they could get injured, lowering them onto the ground. The mechadroid took advantage of the distraction to swat the Uxorite with a tentacle, bashing her into the concrete. It would've continued if Gwen hadn't intervened. "Appendaga Regoria!" The spell immobilized the droid completely.

Xylene got back onto her feet and rushed for Max, ripping his bindings apart to free him. Unfortunately, she didn't know that the spell wears off upon contact, freeing the machine to move again. It tried to make a grab for her, but Yukiko fried the tentacles to liquid goo before they could touch her. Xylene used her powers to bring down a tank onto the mechadroid right as she pulled Max away from it.

But her move had the unintended effect of giving the droid another piece of technology to fuse with, now it had a tank's cannon to intensify the strength of its attacks. She hadn't managed to completely free Max either, and the mechadroid was more than happy to attack them with Max's wrist lasers again.

Xylene and the Tennysons took cover to avoid getting blown to pieces. Yukiko turned to Xylene with a concerned gaze. "What happened!? Why isn't Grandpa free yet!?"

"It's no use! The mechadroid's hold on him is too strong, the only way to win is to destroy the mechadroid itself." Xylene explained.

Ben smirked. "Sounds like a job for Upgrade!" He was going to transform until Xylene grabbed his wrist.

"I have a better idea, but you must trust me! Your Grandfather's life depends on it!" Xylene met Ben's gaze, pleading for him to listen. Ben looked back at Yukiko wondering how she felt about the idea.

"Do it, Ben. We don't have much of a choice." Yukiko gave her approval.

"Go ahead." Ben said to Xylene. The Uxorite grabbed the dial, entered a specific code into the watch and unlocked a new form for Ben to use. She pressed down the dial gently, enveloping their tiny space in a green flash. When the light died down, Yukiko almost passed out from cuteness overload. She picked him up and started squeezing the little guy in a tight hug.

Ben was now a tiny vaguely humanoid amoeba-like creature with green skin, six sprout-like growths on the back of his head, a dark-green patch of skin on his head, light green skin on his face and belly and a crooked teeth overbite. He has whisker-like lines on his face, and a green tail. The alien's eyes were white and he wore a black open-front suit with white over-sleeves and white bands around his legs. With white padding under his three-toed feet. The Omnitrix symbol was located on his left hand. Ben was confused by his less than intimidating appearance. "W-what's this thing supposed to do!?"

"You're going to eat it!" Xylene answered. The boy was still confused by what that even meant. "Literally eat it! That's your power!"

Ben broke free from Yukiko's hug, gaining a slight groan of disappointment from her. "Well, I am kinda hungry." Ben opened his mouth, releasing several green tongues that stuck themselves to the opposite walls.

"Gross." Gwen gagged.

"Still cute!" Yukiko smiled.

Back with Max, the ex-Plumber was forced back onto the mechadroid, preparing to blow them all sky high with several laster bolts. Yukiko intercepted the bolts with her flames, creating a smoke screen that Ben charged through. The little guy started biting the machine, not doing much to it until he decided to use his tongues to rip out a tire. A little green glow was visible in his tummy. Seeing that it worked, he continued to eat the machine.

"Now spit!" Xylene yelled.

Ben followed her command, blowing the head of the mechadroid clean off. "Cool! Exploding loogie!" For a 10-year-old boy, this was a dream come true. "I've got Upchuck powers!" He declared as if it was the mightiest power in the land.

"Ugh, great! As if you weren't disgusting enough already!" Gwen gagged.

"Cute!" Yukiko completely blocked out the alien's ability and focused on its appearance.

"I'll get Max!" Xylene exclaimed, running towards the drone. "Let go of him!" She tore at the tentacles. Upchuck continued to eat the droid, then blowing it apart with his explosive spit. His cousins joined in on the action.

"Emocha Objectia!"

"Agidyne!"

Fire and magic blasted the side of the mechadroid, setting it off balance. Upchuck looked down its center, finding the core of the droid. "Now for dessert!" He swallowed up the core then fell off the droid and into Yukiko's awaiting arms. Xylene managed to free Max and carried him away from the self-destructing droid. The machine blew to pieces, ending the battle in their victory.

Yukiko walked over with Upchuck, letting the little alien barf up the ruined core. The core exploded into ashes and left nothing else. "Way to go, Ben." Yukiko giggled.

FLASH!

Ben flopped out of Yukiko's arms, gagging slightly. "Ew, that robot was not good. Can I get some mouthwash? BURP!" Ben burped up a screw.


The Tennysons and Xylene arrived back at the campsite, where her ship had finally arrived. Ben stared at Max and Xylene, who were talking to one another. His outburst from earlier was ringing in his head, Ben scratched the back of his head. "Uh… Grandpa?"

Max turned from Xylene. "Yeah, Ben?"

"I'm sorry for everything I said earlier about you not caring about us. It wasn't right for me to assume that just because you missed Xylene. I…" Ben paused for a moment, not caring that everyone else was listening in to the conversation. "...I just don't want you to go." Ben finished. His eyes were downcast, not wanting to meet Max's eyes.

"I'm sorry too, Ben."

"What?" Ben's head snapped up to Max.

"I should've realized that how I was acting around Xylene was making you kids uncomfortable. I guess, I just miss your Grandmother so much that I latched onto those old feelings for Xylene without even noticing." Max looked at Yukiko. "This goes for you too, Yukiko."

"I know, Grandpa." Yukiko smiled at him.

"B-but, you don't plan to leave, right?" Ben asked, looking hopeful.

Max chuckled lightly. "I never planned to leave in the first place."

"R-really!? But, Xylene-"

"Accepted my refusal to her request after understanding that I have a responsibility here on Earth." Max explained.

"What responsibility, Grandpa?" Gwen asked.

Max smiled softly, staring at the three of them. "Watching over you kids." His words left them speechless for a moment before his grandkids rushed him and hugged him tightly, almost knocking him off his feet. "Woah, kids! Remember these old bones of mine!"

Xylene watched the scene from the sides, not wanting to disrupt the family moment. The Uxorite still didn't fully understand humans as much as she thought she did. Her conversation with Max after the kids had run off opened her eyes to the fact that Max had truly moved on.


"Xylene, we need to talk."

"About what, Max?"

"About us and my wife."

"I had figured you two had broken things off or she was…" Xylene trailed off.

"Dead? No, she's still very much alive and just hasn't been home in awhile." Max explained. Xylene folded her arms, confused by what Max was saying.

"If that's the case, then why have you…?"

"Been so responsive to your feelings?" Xylene nodded her head. Max looked up to the night sky, staring at the stars with soft mirth. "Recently, I've started to realize just how much I missed her. Her touch, her voice, and her everything. I guess… seeing you again reawakened that longing for a partner. I just didn't even realize it until Ben made it obvious."

Xylene's heart broke hearing just how much Max missed his other love, but she couldn't blame him for that. She had walked out of his life years ago and he had moved on. It was too much for her to expect him to still be holding on to feelings that were decades old. "So, we're done, right?"

Max nodded his head. "Yeah, but I don't mind being friends. You're still important to me, Xylene, and you always will be."

Xylene smiled sadly, but had to accept the hard truth. Max wasn't hers and she couldn't force him to be. Though, there was one thing that was still bothering her. "Max."

"Yes?"

"What does 'homewrecker' mean?"


Xylene was too caught up in the flashback to notice Ben walking up to her. "Xylene, I'm sorry too. I guess I was just jealous. If you want the watch back-"

"Take good care of it." Xylene smiled at him, surprising the boy. "Vilgax isn't the only person out there interested in it."

"Well, you managed to impress another alien." Gwen smiled.

"He is a Tennyson male, they have that effect on us." Xylene chuckled. She then saw Yukiko putting her hands on Ben's shoulders, looking proud of him. "Yukiko."

"Yes?"

"Make sure to keep watch over him too, both of them?" Xylene asked.

"I will, and sorry for being rude." Yukiko gave a respectful bow.

Max walked up to Xylene. "Guess, we'll see you around?"

"You shall." Xylene leaned over and gave Max a soft peck on the cheek, much to the grandkids' shock.

"Gross!" Ben yelled.

"Homewrecker!" Yukiko yelled.

SMACK!

SMACK!

Gwen held Yukiko's fan and smacked the two on the head. "You guys haven't learned anything, have you!" She had cartoonish shark teeth and started scolding the two for their behavior, with the adults laughing at their antics.

Xylene walked up to the spaceship, but not before giving Max one last look. "We'll always have Roswell." She whispered and entered the ship. The spaceship took off, leaving the Earth.

Max stretched his limbs. "Welp, time to get back on the road."

"I call shotgun!" Ben and Gwen exclaimed before glaring at each other.

"But how could you call a shotgun?" Yukiko questioned, gaining two dead stares from her cousins.

As the three conversed, Max couldn't help but think back to what Ben said. Every time his past returned, it led to his kids questioning him and their place with him. Time and time again, it reminded him of the mistakes he made with his family. Was this road trip truly the best way to redeem himself or was he still running away?

"Grandpa, come on!" Ben called for him.

Max shook the thoughts away. "Questions for another time." He whispered to himself. "Hang on, I'm coming!" Max hurried into the Rustbucket to continue their journey.

Season 3 End

NOTE: And this wraps up Season 3 of Priestess 10! I hope you enjoyed everything this season had to offer and look forward to the arcs to come! This season wasn't much of an explosive finish as the last one, but more of an emotional one. Let's discuss:

1. Ben's outburst is a lot more than it was originally. I think it's fair to assume that Ben's life was nothing special and utterly boring before the Omnitrix entered it. Especially if we all remember "No Watch Ben", who is a Ben that never got to live the life that Prime Ben did. Ben doesn't have a high opinion of himself, so he hides that behind all of his bravado and arrogance, because he's afraid of accepting that he really is nobody special. Ben believed that the Omnitrix was sent to him, because the damn thing almost crushed him, but he learns that he found it purely on accident. Major blow to his already fragile self-opinion.

Now we all know that Ben was destined to find the Omnitrix, but this doesn't conflict with the creator never intending for this random kid to find it. Yukiko points it out to Ben that it doesn't matter who the watch was intended for, what does matter is that Ben did find it and uses it to help people.

2. Max and Verdona are still together... just long distance. They pretty much just let her do whatever the hell she wants, not that it's necessarily a good thing but yeah. There's a lot that I want to say and write about Verdona, but that all has to wait until she's properly introduced. At the moment she's the mystery grandma that nobody really wants to talk about.

I really wanted to emphasize that Max's old feelings for Xylene only returned, because he was longing for a certain type of affection at the time. He has long since moved on and she learns to accept that. It doesn't mean she stopped loving Max, but she's willing to accept that he no longer sees her in that way. Xylene is still someone important to him and that will never change.

3. Upchuck is finally here! One of my favorite aliens and I can't wait to use him more!

4. Yukiko acts the way she does, because Max, Xylene, and Verdona situation reminds her too much of her own in regard to Yu and Rise. The idol is still way too flirty with Yu even though Yu and Yukiko are in a committed relationship. I also think it's well known that Yukiko is the jealous type, and you can only imagine what kind of advice she gave Gwen.

I do think what I have planned next is going to excite Persona fans very much. Because the next arc will be the first time this story deals more with the Persona side of things rather than the Ben 10 side. I'll give you the title of the next arc: The Dungeon of Regrets.

Have a great day!