A/N: Here we are, our official Hope introduction. Hope your excited as I am (ha get it) After this will be Ultimate Weapon, a glimpse into the Forever Knights.

Chapter 16: Tough Luck

A girl stood on a hill overlooking the prison, her long silver hair flowed down her back as her lips spread into a smile. Her magenta eyes narrowed before she walked towards the prison. She wore a a purple dress with a pink ribbon around her waist and a black crown on her head. She also wore black fingerless gloves. At the top of her dress, she had a cerise pink gem with a golden border, and she also wore long dark purple flat boots. She carried a small beige bag, with one eye, a stitched x for another eye, and large fanged teeth zipped up.

As she drew closer to the prison, the guards there quickly noticed the silver haired female, "Stop right there!" But the woman waved her hand as large thick vines erupted into the air and entrapped them.

She cocks her hands back, "FALLUM QUARCA DAMINIGAN!" A strong blast of compressed air blows the doors off its hinges to the prison as the alarms started blaring throughout the building. Various prison guards ran to intercept her, when she summoned more large vines to keep the men trapped. As she journeyed along the never ending cells containing various criminals before getting to the solitary confinement facility.

The doors to the solitary confinement were soon blown off there hinges by the silver haired sorceress. She walked through the facility, before coming to a stop infront of the fourth door, "FALLUM QUARCA DAMINIGAN!" The compressed air blows the doors straight off its hinges as the man inside the cell smirks.

"Took you long enough, my dear niece." The man slowly turns around to reveal Hex in an orange jumpsuit. The silver haired sorceress smiled slightly.

"Nice to see you too, Uncle Hex." She responded before the sorcerer held out his hand.

"My staff, child." Hex demanded which made her scoff in annoyance.

"There's a word for that, it's called please. And I'm not a child anymore, I'm 18." She replied before he glared at her raising his hand upwards.

"I don't care, give me my staff, now!" He glared before she faltered and looked away before reaching into her bag and pulling out her uncle's staff and tossing it to him, "Good, now let us make haste. We need to restore the destroyed charms and get revenge by killing Lucky Girl and her family! Come Charmcaster."

The newly named Charmcaster sighs before standing next to her uncle, "ALBEO EXORIOR!" In a flash of purple Charmcaster and her uncle Hex were gone. Releasing the entrapped prison guards around the building.

On a Highway in Nevada, a bus was tipped over the ledge, about to plummet into the cliff below. The civilians on board were fearful as there bus tipped over when a large brown armorfied dinosaur wearing a black and green badge on his chest caught the edge of the tilting bus, "Don't worry, Humungousaur to the rescue!" The Vaxasaurian roared before pulling it back onto the street.

As the buses door opens an old woman looks at the twelve foot tall dinosaur, "Are you gonna help us down or what?"

"What?" Humungousaur questioned.

"Can you help us get off the bus?" Another old person replied before Humungousaur sighed.

He gazed at his badge, 'When I don't want you to time out you time out. Now when I actually need you to time out, you don't come thru. This blows.'

After about ten minutes of helping the old people off the bus, Humungousaur quickly vanished before reappearing as Ben Tennyson who was fuming with anger. He barged into the RV, where his grandfather was playing sudoku and his cousin Gwen was surfing the internet on her computer.

"How'd it go, Ben?" Max replied taking off his glasses noticing his fuming grandson.

"It went okay, ASIDE FOR THE FACT I SPENT TEN MINUTES HELPING OLD PEOPLE OF THE BUS!" Ben screamed before slamming the bathroom door.

"He seems mad." Gwen mumbles nonchalantly as Max chuckles before placing his glasses back on and resuming his game of sudoku.

"He'll get over it. He always does, besides it's both of your birthdays and he hasn't picked anywhere to go." Max replied before Ben opened the door and flopped into the booth next to his cousin.

"Happy Birthday, Benjamin. Happy Birthday to you too Gwendolyn." Max stated before the duo smiled.

"Thanks grandpa." They replied.

Ben then gazes over to Gwen's computer, "What are you doing?"

"Well since I've got most of my magic powers down, I've decided to do some digging on ancient relics or lost artifacts pertaining to magic." Gwen answers which causes Ben to wrap his arms around his head.

"Interesting, now that you mentioned it those old people offered me to come to some Magic Convention in Las Vegas. Since we're already in Nevada, it's our birthday might wanna check it out?" Ben offered as Gwen's eyes widened before smiling widely.

"Yes, please! Since your doing this for me, I might get you something while were there. Think of it as a birthday present from me." Gwen smiled hugging Ben who laughed.

"You hear that, grandpa?" Ben replied as Max was already in the drivers seat.

"Way ahead of you, Ben." Max was already starting up the RV before driving off.

"Ben, I love you, but you stink. Go take a shower." Gwen replied as Ben raised an eyebrow before smelling himself. He muttered 'damn' before walking off to the bathroom to freshen himself up.

Gwen soon walks up to the front of the RV and takes the passenger's seat, "Ya'know it was real nice of Ben to change where we're going." Max replied looking over to his granddaughter.

"I know, but it feels like something good is gonna happen today. And it seems to be working considering Ben offered to let us go to the convention."

"Funny you should mention it, I have also have that feeling." Max laughed as the trio headed down the freeway towards Las Vegas.

In the desert outside Arizona, Hex and Charmcaster sat around a burning fire. Hex had ditched the orange jumpsuit for his sorcerer's garb, "Now that, I have my staff, we need to find the Keystone and the book of Archamada and restore the Charms of Bezel."

Charmcaster hummed in acknowledgement before gazing at her uncle, "What happened to the book and the charms? I saw you were defeated by a large dinosaur monster and some girl in a cat like mask who went by the moniker 'Lucky Girl'?"

Hex glared at her that made her falter a bit, but she kept her face stoic, "Don't you mention that name again! It was her and that boy's fault, I wounded up in prison to begin with!"

'Boy?' Charmcaster thought weirdly, "Boy? What are you talking about Uncle Hex?"

"The old man, the shape shifting boy, and Lucky Girl were the cause of my defeat. It had to be the boy who stole the book from me while we were fighting. We must recover that book at all costs!" Hex replies before the fire started turning pure red.

Charmcaster gazed into the seering flames to show the old man her uncle just mentioned, the girl standing beside him, and soon the flames caught sight of the boy. Charmcaster's eye's widened when she caught his face. She didn't know what was happening, she felt her cheeks heat up for some odd reason as the trio disappeared into the flames.

'What was that? Why did my heart skip a beat when I saw him? What does any of this mean?' Charmcaster thought as she placed her hand onto her rapidly beating chest, 'Calm down, it doesn't mean anything. Maybe it's the heat from the fire.' She looked over to her uncle as she caught him mumbling something under his breath.

She shielded her eyes as the flames grew brighter until Hex opened his eyes, "What's happening?" She asked.

"I located the Keystone of Bezel with it, I shall be able to recreate the destroyed Charms of Bezel and take revenge on that cursed Lucky Girl. But first we must locate the book of Archamada." Hex whisked his hand as the image in the flames shifted to the Las Vegas Magic Convention, "Seems both the Keystone and the book will be in the same place."

"That's great, Uncle Hex, but I don't wanna do this." Charmcaster spoke softly, frankly she didn't even wanna be here, she doesn't even like hurting people, but given she was raised by her mentally and sometimes physically abusing Uncle, she had no say in the matter.

"What are you going on about, child?" Hex sneered at his niece.

"I just don't wanna do this whole bad guy, take over the world nonsense. I wanna explore, see the world, go to college, meet a nice guy, and fall in love. I just want to live the life my parents wanted for me." Charmcaster explained which made Hex silent. After Charmcaster finished speaking her uncle hadn't said a word, the only thing they could hear was the flickers of the firewood burning, "Uncle Hex?"

The sorcerer got up from his place and stood infront of his niece. Charmcaster looked at him in confusion before a loud smack was heard throughout the desert. Charmcaster felt a stinging pain on her face, she whipped her head to look at her uncle who was fuming with rage. It took most of her willpower not to shed tears when he spoke, "Don't you EVER mention your parents again. You will do what I say, when I say it! With NO questions asked, UNDERSTAND!"

Charmcaster's gaze drifted to her feet sadly, "I understand, Uncle Hex."

"Good, now let's get a move on. We need to acquire the book and the Keystone." Charmcaster said nothing as she absentmindedly nodded along. The two sorcerers were soon gone leaving behind a dying fire, in there wake.

The RV stopped infront of the Magic Convention, with both Max and Gwen hopping out of the RV. Max smiled widely before standing before his granddaughter, "Ah, let's see if we can find any interesting artifacts."

Gwen nodded, before turning to the RV, "Ben, let's go."

"Coming." A voice replied a few seconds later. Before the shape shifter stepped out the RV. He wore green and black hightop converses, black skinny jeans, a black shirt sleeved hoodie with the plumber insignia in the middle, and his signature #10 dark green jacket.

"Like the color scheme, going for a new look, Ben?" Gwen looked him up and down before he shrugged.

"Don't know, but let's get this show on the road." Ben replied before stuffing his hands into his jacket as the trio soon entered the convention.

The trio gaze around at the different stands selling either charms, talismans, various clothing from different time periods. Gwen isn't really all that happy to see all the fake merchandise, Max has a smile on his face enjoying the time with his grandkids, and Ben is abit intrigued by the stuff, but it wasn't worth spending money over.

"I know this isn't what you expected Gwen, but you have that book. Maybe that's all you really need." Max replies placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I know, and I'm thankful to Ben, for swiping it for me, but I feel I can do more." Gwen replied abit saddened.

"Gwen, you can don't feel down about it, okay. You don't need some old trinket to feel special. We're a team always have been always will be." Max said as Gwen smiled and nodded.

"Thanks for the words of encouragement, grandpa." Gwen hugged him tightly as the older Tennyson returned the hug.

"It's what I'm here for." He then looked around and found Ben gone, "Wait, where's Ben?"

Gwen's eyes widened when they pulled apart and Ben was nowhere to be found, "Oh, brother." She facepalmed herself as they started looking around the convention when an odd looking booth caught Gwen's attention. She stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of a bracelet which was blue with a familiar charm in the middle.

Max noticed his granddaughter wasn't behind him, but staring at a charm bracelet at this old woman's booth. Max walked backwards to stand beside her, "See something you like?"

"Oh yeah." She smiled before digging into her skirt's pocket before pulling out a twenty and handing it to the woman who in turned handed her the bracelet.

Gwen clamps the bracelet to her left wrist like how Ben had the Omnitrix attached to his left wrist. She smiled as the bracelet gleamed which seemed to draw her even closer to it.

"So what does it do?" Max asked as they went back to searching for Ben who was still missing.

"I don't know, but I know we're gonna find out very soon." Gwen smiled before the duo soon hears a scream catch there attention. Everyone within the area looked up to see a man hanging from a crashing Helicopter.

Ben who was shoving a corndog into his mouth with his other hand in his pocket was walking around the food stands they had set up. When a scream caught his attention, he whipped his head around to see a helicopter going down with a man attached to it. He narrowed his eyes before racing through the crowd of people.

He was already scrolling through his playlist, "It's Hero Time!" He slammed his hand onto the faceplate as the surrounding civilians shielded there eyes at the bright emerald light that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Ben's skin turned a violet, dark blue, and black color. He grew an additional third emerald eye above his nose. His hands turned into claws and his feet into talons with only three toes; two in the front and one in the back. His entire body was wrapped in an old raggedy dark blue cloak and hood with light blue spot patterns scattered around which then unfurrow and become his wings and antenna. His shoulders, chest, and thighs grew armor plating on them. The Omnitrix badge appeared in the middle of his chest, "BIG CHILL!" His eerily ghostly voice erupted. The Necrofriggian leaped into the air before his cloak unfurrowed itself into makeshift wings.

"Was going for JetRay, but Big Chill works." He muttered to himself as he soared through the air. Gwen and Max watched from the ground as Big Chill soon appeared on the scene.

"I'll be right back, grandpa." Gwen replied before bolting into a nearby alley.

Big Chill tries to steady the helicopter when the blades above pop off. Heading into the crowd of civilians below. The crowd soon dispersed as the blades made there way downwards when a pink mana hand shot outwards and grabbed the helicopter's blades.

Everyone looked up to see a girl dressed in a black and purple suit with a cat like mask on her face, "Someone dial up a hero?"

Big Chill internally rolled his eyes before using his breath of ice to put the fire out ontop of the helicopter. He slowly brought the helicopter down, but the man on the rope was screaming loudly and was losing his grip and soon fell. Big Chill's eyes widened before slowly losing his grip on the helicopter when Lucky Girl soon vaulted over a dozen stands and caught the man in her arms.

The Necrofriggian smiled before bringing the helicopter down and wrapping his wings around his body when Lucky Girl approached him, "Nice job."

"What can I say, I felt abit lucky." She smiled as he rolled his eyes as the approaching crowd cheered for the duo. Big Chill soon picked up Gwen and vanished before the cheering crowd.

The trio soon reconvened at the Rust Bucket, Gwen is at her computer searching the internet for information on this charm that seemed to boost her magic power. Ben was drinking a soda while Max sat across from her, "Ben, where were you?" Max asks.

"Food stands, was kinda hungry till I saw the helicopter going down." Ben patted his stomach before looking over to his cousin, "Find anything?"

"Yeah, this charm is related to the Charms of Bezel." Gwen answers gazing at her cousin who was leaning against the counter with a soda.

"I thought you destroyed those when we fought that insane wizard Hex." Ben recalled before taking a sip of his soda.

"I did, but this is the Keystone of Bezel, it can greatly boost the wearers skills and magic abilities by ten." Gwen read in shock before looking down at the charmed bracelet.

"Whoa." Was all Gwen heard from Ben and Max.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome. My magic power should be able to rival your transformations." She smirked cockly.

Ben nearly choked on his soda, before coughing violently, "Let's not go that far."

"Hey, there's a magic performance happening, wanna go and check it out you two?" Max reads from the brochure.

"Sure, sounds like fun." Gwen answers as Ben nods in agreement.

The trio went back to the Convention as they were soon seated in an auditorium where a man in a magician's garb was standing behind a table of items and a large box off to the side.

"I am the Great Mussolini, and here I'll be showing you the joys of magic!" The magician revealed before a card sprung from his coat sleeve drawing the crowds attention.

The Tennyson's watched as he drew multiple things from a hat, his wand poofed into a bouquet of flowers before throwing it into the crowd. He made various objects disappear and then reappear within the crowd. Ben was honestly getting bored as he watched the magician, until he brought out the large case.

"For this next, trick I'll need a volunteer from the crowd." Mussolini replied seeing hands shoot up immediately, but before he could choose someone Ben was already making his way to the stage.

Gwen and Max gazed from Ben to the empty seat then back to Ben when Gwen leaned over to him, "How'd Ben get up there so fast?"

Max shrugged incredulously, "No idea."

Mussolini gazed at the overly excited Ben Tennyson before gazing to the disappointed crowd, "Seems I have my volunteer. What's your name, son?" He held out his hand.

"Ben Tennyson." He soon shook it firmly.

"Good grip, A round of applause for Mr. Tennyson, ladies and gentlemen." The crowd soon started cheering for the teenager.

"Mr. Tennyson, what I require from you is to step inside this box." He pointed to the large rectangular box behind the shape shifter.

Ben took a glance before a smirk was plastered onto his face, "Okay." He stepped inside the box as Mussolini closes it tightly. He then turns back to the crowd smiling widely.

"After I chant the magic word, this boy will disappear!" He stared at the box and waited before lifting his hands, "ABRACADABRA!" Unknown to the magician and the audience a flash of emerald light shined through the crevices of the box, "Be amazed at the boy's disappearance!" Mussolini yelled before bowing and gesturing to the box.

The box's door creaked opened as the crowd widened there eyes as a puddle of green slime leaked out with a small little device that flew down and scooped the slime upwards. The pile of slime soon took a humanoid form with a faint badge in the middle of his chest. The crowd gasped before shooting up from there seats in applause when Mussolini smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He then looked over to where the boy was and found him gone and saw the humanoid form of the Polymorph named Goop.

Gwen and Max both sigh at Ben's antics before watching the crowd cheer for them. Goop internally smirked, 'Success.' When red smoke appeared above the stage gaining everyone's attention. Goop turned around and backed up when he saw someone floating through the smoke.

Gwen and Max shot up from there seats as Hex the sorcerer from earlier in the summer appeared within the smoke, "If it's magic you want then let me show you a few tricks!" Hex yelled before shooting various bolts of lightning from his hands, the crowd immediately took off in a panic. Hex soon glared when his eyes landed on Gwen who were the Keystone on her bracelet.

Goop decided to make his appearance known, he tossed acidic slime balls at him, which Hex dodged. He looked at the Polymorph, "Sorry, Hexy, but it's back to jail with you!" He tossed more slimeballs at him which soon started melting various parts of the stage. Gwen soon raced off with the screaming crowd into a nearby bathroom.

Charmcaster soon made her appearance known when she landed before the slime riddled monster, "Ew, it's a pile of slime." Goop's slanted eyes widened when he caught her.

"Wh-who are yo-you?" Goop stuttered out before Charmcaster looked at him suspiciously.

"His niece, Charmcaster. Sorry little slime, but it's bye bye for you." She revealed, "TEMPESTUS!" She shouted before the pipes in the wall bursted and soon a cylinder of water started circling around her.

"Oh sh-" Goop remarked before his body was torn asunder by the attack that launched him straight through the auditorium wall.

Charmcaster's facial expression dropped before a voice broke her from her train of thought, "Stop standing there and go find Lucky Girl!" Hex yelled as he lowered himself onto the stage.

Fearful that she might be hit again, she stutters, "Alr-Alright Uncle He-Hex."

Before they could even move, Gwen's voice appears around them, "Ya'know I don't appreciate you doing that to my cousin." Lucky Girl flipped and landed onto the second row of seats near the stage with Max running in behind her.

"You insignificant pests, you will return the book of Archamada and the Keystone to me. Or you will suffer my wrath!" Hex yelled when a ball of slime was launched into his shoulder. He hissed in pain before the two sorcerers gazed over to the recovered Polymorph.

"You know what they say two's a crowd, but three's allowed." His high pitched voice resonated.

"You deal with the shape shifter, I'll handle the girl and the old man." Hex ordered.

"O-on it." She stuttered before racing over to the other side of the auditorium, she reached into her bag before tossing a bunch of pebbles.

Goop watches them collide on the ground before looking at her, "Is that the best you could do?" She smirked confidently before they started growing, shocking the Polymorph.

"No it's not." She chuckled before ordering the Stone Monster's to attack him.

"Me and my big mouth." Goop soon launched into action avoiding the rock monsters large fists.

Hex blasts a bolt of lightning at the two, but Lucky Girl pushes Max out the way, "Give me the Keystone and the Book!" He declares before blasting them again.

"Hm, how about no?" Gwen remarked before Hex glared blasting them again, this time Gwen and Max were flung through the other side of the auditorium landing in a hedge maze, "Grandpa, you okay?" Gwen quickly asks.

"Yeah, abit woozy." Max remarks holding his head.

"Come on, let's lose him in this maze." Gwen soon started pulling her grandfather deeper into the maze when Hex floated out. He gazed at the two entrances before choosing the one on the left. While Gwen and Max had escaped into the one on the right.

Goop noticed the large hole, and Hex floating out of it. He soon gazed at the three rock monsters before realizing he won't be able to win if he doesn't get serious, "It's been fun, Charmy." He winked before seeing her almost scoff, "But it's time to step it up a notch." He tapped his badge before becoming engulfed in an emerald blinding light.

Goop felt himself bloating up like a balloon. He became shorter and hunched over with a long tail sprouting from his back both being covered in yellow armor plating. The top of his head was protected in the armor plating. His arms were longer and covered in yellow armor and his feet turned into short and stubby claws also with his knees being covered in the yellow armor plates, with his teeth turning into fangs. He is mostly white, while various parts of his body were black. His legs were completely black. With his eyes shining emerald green. The Omnitrix badge appeared in the middle of his chest, "CANNONBOLT!" The Arburian Pelarota exclaimed. Before curling himself into a ball and rolling towards the rock monsters.

Charmcaster watched as that pile of slime turned into a panda shaped wrecking ball, 'Uncle Hex is right, he is a shape shifter.' Never having seen one before the sorceress watched in curiosity as the Arburian Pelarota dodged and bounced off the ground and walls into the stone monsters shattering them into pieces.

He came to a stop onto the stage before unrolling himself, "3 down 1 to go." He replied before setting his sights on the sorceress who backed up. The Arburian Pelarota started making his way towards her.

"No! Stop! I didn't even wanna be here!" Charmcaster yelled honestly before CannonBolt stopped in his tracks.

"What do you mean?" CannonBolt asked suspiciously, he was gonna hear her out, but keep his guard up so she wouldn't get the drop on him.

"My uncle, he forced me to help him. I didn't even wanna be here. I don't wanna hurt you or Lucky girl, or the old man. I don't like hurting people, I just want to be free." She revealed which made CannonBolt widened his eyes in shock.

He looked Charmcaster up and down and had to admit she was beautiful, forget beautiful, she was drop dead gorgeous. But her words got him thinking, 'forced'. "What do you mean by forced?" He asked kinda dreading the answer.

She shut her eyes tightly, "He...hits me." CannonBolt's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider. He watched as she was on the verge of tears, "I can't get away from him. He's the only family I have left."

"Why don't you run away? You're your own person." CannonBolt replied.

"I've tried, he always finds me and he discipline's me for it. I can never be free of him." She yelled before watching as the Arburian Pelarota backed up, "What are you doing?"

CannonBolt said nothing as he tapped his badge and reverted back to normal. Charmcaster threw up her forearm to block out the blinding light. When the light died down she saw him. The boy from the fire, he approached her before holding out his hand, "Then let me deal with him, I'm Ben Tennyson."

Charmcaster looked at his hand before looking into his emerald eyes, she could see a fire of intensity burning to help her, "I'm Hope." She soon shook his hand.

Before Ben could even stop himself, he blurted out, "Hope, that's a beautiful name." Hope's cheeks soon heated up from his compliment before he found himself rubbing his neck nervously.

"Thanks." She smiled softly before the two could talk anymore a loud explosion erupted from the hedge maze outside.

Ben's attention was shifting to the explosion then remembering who was out there, "Grandpa, Gwen!" He soon grabbed the sorceress's hand before racing through the hole.

"What are you doing?" She shrieked as Ben led her towards the maze.

"Your insane Uncle needs to be stopped. Can you help us do it?" Ben gazed into her beautiful magenta colored eyes. Hope stiffened when he told her about stopping her power hungry Uncle. Ben could see the fear in her eyes and could see that Hex had beaten it into her, "Hope, I will protect you from him. You want to be free, right?" He offered her his hand, "You take my hand and I swear he'll never harm you again."

Hope gazed at his hand constantly before hearing the explosion's further out in the maze. Hope then looked into his eyes again and found something. It was reassurance, something she was missing most of her life. She hadn't been looked at like this since her parents died. Giving Uncle Hex instilled fear into her since she was a kid, which led to years of bad decisions and even then she was bullied because she was different. No matter where she went she was always judged and ridiculed, but not here and not with him. She could see it, his drive to protect her even tho they just met. She wanted it, wanted to be free. To be happy. And where else could she get it from? Her uncle? Those bullies from high school? Jail? No, it was right here from this boy named Ben Tennyson.

"But what if something happens to you or your family. I dont think I could cope knowing I was involved in your death." She gazed down at her feet when he placed his hand under her chin so she could look at him.

"Nothing's gonna happen, alright? Because there's three of us and only one of him. He won't lay a single finger on you, Hope. I promise." Ben reassured her as he lent her his hand again.

She slowly reached out and grabbed his hand before a smile spread across his face.

"Let's go." Ben replies before taking the right path with Hope following after him.

Gwen and Max were rushing through the hedge maze when suddenly a large rock monster stepped into there way. They stopped before trying to run the opposite way when another soon blocked it's path. Hex soon levitated above them.

"Stay behind me, grandpa." Gwen whispered softly as the stone monsters got closer.

"Do you really think you can defeat me!" Hex boasted.

"We did before, we'll do it again." Gwen remarked when her charm started glowing. She rushed toward the stone monster and smashed it into pieces. She turned around quickly before shooting a direct line of mana into the stone monsters body, shattering it into pieces.

Hex glared at Lucky Girl, before shooting a bolt of lightning at her. She quickly brought up a mana shield and redirected the attack. He blasted bolts more of lightning at her as she gritted her teeth trying to hold the attack when a multi colored beam hits the distracted Hex.

Gwen and Max gaze over to there left to see Chromastone and Charmcaster arrive. Hex gazes over to the newcomers and is furious, "What do you think you're doing?!" Hex glares at his niece.

Charmcaster looks down in fear before she feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks over to see the Crystalsapien's hand and nods. She looks over to her uncle, "I'm going to be free. Whether you like it or not!"

"Is that so?" Hex glares before gazing at the Tennyson family standing beside her. He raises his hand forward as the charm attached to Gwen's wrist comes flying over to him. The group is rendered speechless before a powerful shockwave explodes from Hex's body pushing the group backwards.

Hex hovers into the air, "AWAKATELO FOLIGETO!" He erupts before the vines from the hedge's maze spring outward. Before Hope could recite a spell, her mouth was bound tightly, her arms were bound behind her back, as her feet were too.

Max was quickly bound into the hedge with Chromastone right next to him, struggling to get free. Gwen was soon bound by her mouth as her arms and legs were bound together as well. Hex walked over to them as he glared at his struggling niece, "I'll deal with you later." He shifted his gaze back to Lucky Girl, "I'll be taking you." He raised his arms as both Gwen and Hope levitated before him.

Chromastone's fist tightened angrily as the radiation from his body burned through the plants binding him, "YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" The Crystalsapien exclaimed as Hex smirked amusedly as Chromastone raced forward before Hex, Gwen, and Hope vanished before him, "GWEN! HOPE!" Chromastone yelled in anguish.

"Ben!" Max yelled as the vines pulled him deeper into the hedge's maze. Chromastone whipped his head towards his grandpa. He stuck his arm into the large bush and grabbed hold of his grandpa before pulling him forward. The vines snapped as Ben pulled Max out.

"You alright, grandpa?" Chromastone replied helping his grandpa to his feet.

"Yeah." He replied softly.

"Grandpa, he's got Gwen and Hope." Chromastone replied before his badge started flashing red and in a blinding red light he reverted back to normal.

"Who's Hope?"

"His niece, we need to get them back." Ben answers before looking around, "I'm gonna try and look for them. From uptop and below. XRL8 and Jetray should be able to find them, given they haven't left the state."

"Sounds like a plan, let's do it!" Max nodded.

Hex stood ontop of the highest building in the city, he had stolen both the book and charm bracelet. Over to the left were Gwen and Hope tied around one of pillars, mouths bound as well so they couldn't free themselves.

Hex gazed over to his two hostages, "This is it. Once this eclipse starts, I'll be able recreate the Charms, you destroyed." The insane sorcerer soon started laughing when Gwen threw him a glare, "And you, my dear niece. Betraying me? Worst decision, you've ever made." Hex glared at her, but she glared back causing him to smack her across the face.

Gwen's eyes widened at the sudden abuse started struggling against her makeshift ropes that kept her from moving, "You dare side with them?" Hex glared as he saw her glare once again, but smacked her once again, "And now, you're choosing to defy me? I guess you need to be punished." He soon stopped speaking when he saw the eclipse coming.

"Once, I recreate the charms, no one will be strong enough to defy me!" Hex laughed maniacally. He walked back to grab the book and smirked. Gwen looked over at Hope who had a defeated and sad expression on her face.

While Hex was distracted trying to recreate the Charms, Gwen started cutting through her ropes. With one final tug, she snapped the vine make ropes before pulling them from her mouth. She looked over to Hope and soon started doing the same for her. Once she freed Charmcaster, she carried her behind the pillar away from Hex's line of sight.

"I'm sorry, this all happened because of me." She replied sadly.

"This isn't your fault. Believe me, but now isn't the time to give up." Gwen replied firmly.

"He's about to have ultimate power, we can't beat him."

"We don't need to beat him, we just need to slow him down. What do you say?" Gwen offered her hand out to her.

Hope nodded, "Let's do it!"

The two girls came from behind the pillar, to see Hex chanting up the spell when Hope's hands started glowing purple as she snatched the book from him. Hex's eyes widened in shock before the keystone was soon swiped from him aswell. Hex looked over to see Lucky Girl and Charmcaster free of there shackles.

"No! Return them immediately!" Hex yelled angrily.

"No, you're done here, uncle Hex!" Hope yelled before glaring at her uncle.

"Is that so?" Hex glared.

The three of them locked eyes before they all recited the same spell, "MERCUTA VERDITIS!" Hex blasted a beam of yellow energy at the girls who reciprocated with Gwen blasting pink and Charmcaster blasting purple. The three beams of energy collided together with the two girls trying to overpower Hex.

"You silly girls have no idea the power, I'm capable of!" Hex glared as he stepped forward, Hope and Gwen glared as they tried to push Hex back, "You have no hopes of winning against me!"

"That's because it's two on one!" An unknown voice replied before a streak of blue and black collided with Hex sending him reeling back. The three beams soon dropped when XLR8 took his place in the middle with Max in his arms, "Try a four on one."

"Ben/Grandpa!" Gwen and Hope cheered as they raced over to the Kineceleran. Max hugged Gwen as Hope hugged XLR8. Seeing how close they were Hope quickly blushed before pushing the Kineceleran away who's blue face was also blushing.

"How'd you find us?" Gwen asked.

"Ben searched the streets and air for you two. After finding you, he came back for me so we can take this creep down." Max answered before they looked at the Kineceleran who was avoiding there gaze.

"Oh really?" Both Hope and Gwen chuckled at Ben's nervous reaction. Max smiled before they were soon broken from there stupor when they heard a groan.

They gazed over to see Hex getting to his feet, "You think you've beaten me? Think again!"

"Give it up, uncle Hex! The eclipse is over, you can't recreate the charms." Hope yelled which made Hex glare before he raised his arm upwards to his staff that was scattered away. His staff came flying into his hand as he glared at them.

"FOOLS! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" Hex yelled before he charged the group. Gwen and Hope's hands started glowing pink and purple, as XLR8's visor slid downwards, and Max pulled out a small metallic gun.

XLR8 raced forward as he dodged various energy beams at him. He soon punched the insane wizard backwards when he was blasted in his chest by Max. XLR8 came back around and smashed him in the face. Gwen thrusted her hands forward and captured Hex by his arms, when Hope blasted him in his chest. XLR8 smashed his knee into his chin, sending the crazed warlock to the ground.

Hex laid on the ground as XLR8 stood above him with his staff in hand, "You won't be needing this anymore." He then slammed his knee into the wooden staff and snapped it in two. Hex's eyes widened in shock before he shouted no.

Max had his gun trained on him as Gwen and Hope walked over to him. Hope bent down in front of him, "It's over, uncle Hex. I'm free and you can't stop me."

Hex glared darkly at her, "Child, you will rue the day you've crossed me-" Hope placed her hand onto her uncle's forehead.

"Somnus." She replied as the warlock was soon placed to sleep, 'It's finally over. I'm free.' She was soon broken from her thoughts when a loud blaring noise caught her attention. The trio gazed at XLR8's badge to see it flashing red, "What's happening?"

"Don't worry." XLR8 smiled before in a blinding red light, he reverted back to normal, "After a certain amount of time, I time out. It's really an inconvenience."

"Oh. I see. Thank you so much for your help. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I'd be under his thumb." Hope smiled as tears sprung into her eyes.

"It's no problem, Hope." Gwen smiled as she took off her mask, "I'm Gwen Tennyson and this is our grandpa Max."

"It's really nice to meet you, Hope." Max nodded as Hope wiped her tears.

"You aswell." She smiled.

"So what are you gonna do now that you're free of your uncle?" Gwen asked curiously.

"I don't know. This is the first time, I've been on my own. I don't have a home or any other family or any friends." Hope answered.

"Nonsense, you have us." Max smiled which made Hope widened her eyes.

"Yeah, why don't you come with us." Ben smiled as he felt his cheeks heat up. She looked from Ben's shy demeanor to Gwen and Max who were smiling brightly at her and nodding.

"Re-really?" She stuttered out.

"Of course, we'd be happy for you to join us." Gwen answered.

Hope didn't know what to say, she hadn't had any friend's before, so this was kinda new territory for her. But as she gazed at the Tennyson family, she could see they were serious about her joinning them. She wiped her eyes before a large smile dawned her face. The first real smile, she's used since her parents died were being used on a family, she had just met and already ment so much to her.

"If it's alright with you, I'd be happy to accompany you." She answered before the trio cheered happily.

After Hope said she'd join, they dropped Hex off to the police before boarding the RV. Gwen and Max took the front seat with Ben and Hope sitting across from each other in the booth, leaving Nevada behind.

"Ben." Hope called out. Ben looked up from his phone at the woman across from him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, you're the first real friend I've ever had." Hope smiled which made Ben blush red as he rubbed his neck nervously.

"You mean second right?" Gwen yelled from the front seat as Hope giggled at her comment.

Ben rolled his eyes at his cousins antics before looking at Hope, "No problem, I'll never ignore a cry of help from someone."

Hope smiled as she gazed at him, "Ben."

"Yes Hope?"

"Can I give you something?"

"Like what?" He asked curiously.

"Close your eyes." She shifted her gaze shyly.

He raised his eyebrow suspiciously before shrugging his shoulders and closing his eyes, "Okay there closed." Before he could ask what's next, he felt a pair of lips on his cheek which made his eyes shoot open.

Hope sat back down in the booth across from him with a blush on her face, "Happy Birthday Benjamin." She smiled as Ben smiled dreamily at her. Max and Gwen had watched the whole interaction and smiled, but said nothing.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Whew, this was abit complicated due to Hope being older so writing her personality was kinda hard. Throughout the book, Hope's personality will change to being comfortable around the Tennyson family. Will her personality be like it was in the show, yes ofc. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and if you're wondering how she knew it was his birthday, Gwen had mentioned it, of screen ofc.

Next Episode: Ultimate Weapon