Chan in Bellwood (Rewrite)

by Inkaliber

Jade has been having trouble in school lately. With parents as busy as hers, who could really blame her? With all this stress and uncertainty brought about by their daughter's behavior, what will her parents do? Send her to her uncle Jackie in... Bellwood? How will things change when a certain family gets involved in the lives of the Chan Clan from the very Beginning?

9. Hearts and Stone

Hey guys! It's time once again for Chan in Bellwood! I know that the rat talisman is next, but this is one of those where I'll ask you to not expect everything to go the same. There will be huge changes inside as the original one just doesn't feel like it fits how the story's been going so far. I'm hoping that the change will be interesting and that you'll enjoy it just the same as the other chapters.

Another thing to note is that I have gone back and overhauled the quality of the previous chapters. Some received simple error checking while others underwent small changes. There have even been new sections of content added to some chapters, the biggest one taking the form of an Omake. I'll ask you to please read through the prior chapters again before continuing with this one. There are references to said new sections that will be confusing without rereading the content beforehand. If you've done that or you started reading the story after this chapter was published, there's just one more announcement I have.

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that I will be removing Kim Possible and the DC series as part of the universe this story takes place in. I realized that I could not find a way to include them in the story and in the universe that would make sense with how things are changing. While many series are leaving this fan series, another will be joining it. It will be a while before I show this series off, so please be patient. With that out of the way, it's time to answer some reviewers.

The_Literary_Lord: It's more that he finally realizes what he's feeling. We'll just have to see if he even keeps it secret, lol!

P96822: I'm glad that you liked it! I wanted to show Jade growing as a character, so giving her some things to work through seemed like a good idea. I will admit that it would have been great to have in the show. Ben is indeed being smooth, whether he means to be or not. Hope this one will be interesting for ya!

ArguableReader: I agree that it's sad we never saw Maynard again. I do agree that it took Cash's life being put on the line for him to mellow out. I wish that we could have gotten more from or of the JCA series so that we could see some of the things that they couldn't use originally. The last bit was both genuine and for the laughs.

Reader: Thanks! It honestly felt good to flesh out Jade as a character here. Ben definitely appreciated her character development himself. Jackie was angry in the original episode, so it was easy to show the anger here as I really didn't need to change much. I am saving Alien Force events for the next story, but I do have some things planned for a few aliens and Rook.

kitsunefan: Thanks!

That looks like everyone. Let's start this thing right. I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures, Ben 10, or any other series that may appear here. I do own OC characters, species, objects, and concepts unless stated otherwise. Action!

Voices

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

"YELLING!"

"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, surprise at the end of a section."

"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"

"Whispering."

"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."

[Language Indicator]

"Machine or alt communication talking/Talking in flashback."

"MACHINE OR ALT COMMUNICATION YELLING/YELLING IN FLASHBACK!"

"Machine or alt communication whispering/Whispering in flashback."

---

Bellwood, Pennsylvania

Ben tried to pay attention to the class he currently found himself in, History being a subject he was averaging a C in. It wasn't that he was bad at the subject, but he wasn't always the best when it comes to these kinds of courses. Of course, he was currently having issues with his attention span as it was drawn somewhere else. His eyes wandered over to said interest, doing his best to make sure that he wasn't noticed. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't get over Jade's new appearance.

Her hair was able to grow out more over the past couple of weeks, making her ponytail go from short to medium. He couldn't help but feel hot under the collar as he thought about her beauty, which he didn't expect would grow as much as it did when she started showing off more of her interests through her appearance. She was currently wearing a pink tank top, a blue bra (if the strap peeking out from the strap of the shirt was anything to go by), a blue plaid skirt, another pair of black leggings, and simple white tennis shoes. Even with this outfit being more casual than the qipao that she showed off that day, the boy still felt exactly the same way.

Whenever she'd look his way, he'd look back towards the teacher and act like he was paying close attention. If there was something important, he'd ask someone for their notes and later use Graymatter to read over the chapters so that he could get a better understanding of what he missed. It was already challenging enough to make sure she didn't notice he was looking at her, the snickering of Gwen nearby not helping anything. The boy sighed as he rested his head in his palms, not sure what to do. He couldn't stop himself as his mind went back to the talk he had with his parents about the whole situation.

---

Flashback

It was the day he called his mother to cry out about his panic over his discovery. Sure he had crushes here and there, but he had never been in love before. Any thoughts of Kai Green, that Julie girl who Jade sometimes hangs out with, or any other girl he met on his grandfather's Summer Road Trips left his mind to make room for his new feelings. He needed help, and there were only two people he could rely on for it. Hence why he was sitting on the couch as his mother was gushing in front of him while his father sat in his recliner.

"My baby boy's in love!" cried Sandra Tennyson. She walked back and forth as she took in the surrealness of the situation. "I was worried that you were never going to find a girl until you reached your late teens. I can't wait to meet this girl and plan your wedding!" Ben leaned forward as he shot his mother an annoyed blush.

"Mom!" cried the young Tennyson. "Stay focused, please! We aren't even dating yet and I don't know if she likes me back! It's too early to be putting wedding ideas in my head!" He was grateful when his father joined him in leaning forward.

"Honey, he has a point," informed Mr. Tennyson. "Let's handle things one step at a time." Sandra looked towards her husband at this notion, sighing as she put her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, but you can't blame me!" cried the woman. "It's not every day a mother has her son come to her wanting advice on how to handle his relationships." Ben quickly cleared his throat to get his mother's attention, causing her to turn back his way. "Right! So, before we begin, what made you realize that you fell for little Miss Jade?" Ben poked his fingers together as he tried to think of a good response.

"Well, I had a lot of time to think about it while at school today," revealed the boy. "It started when we went on that trip to Mexico. There I began to grow jealous because a boy named Paco kept getting close to her, either arguing or just talking with her in general. Then there was a moment that she leaned on me while complaining about a bad day she had. We later saw her on TV, and I couldn't help saying that she made her explorer get-up look nice."

He allowed his hands to fall into his lap as a small smile appeared on his face. "After that there were times where she'd hug me tight and even this one time where I caught her from sliding down a rail and she called me 'her hero'. Don't even get me started on that time I saw her in a bathing suit that week we went to San Francisco. Anyway, just a few weeks ago Gwen and I helped her feel better after all that drama at school made her upset. She unloaded a lot on us and I tried to help her as best as I could. After that, when Gwen ran ahead of us, Jade decided to thank me by… kissing me on the cheek."

He winced as his mother cooed in surprise and his father sent him a knowing look. Ben decided to finish his explanation as he leaned back against the couch. "Then she showed up today in that new outfit of hers and, let me just tell you, the things that change when a girl actually dresses like a girl. Everything just piled up and I just… couldn't deny what I was feeling anymore and panicked." His mother nodded her head eagerly, a grin on her face.

"Well what was she wearing? For an outfit to sway you it must have been something interesting." Ben rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think.

"I think she called it a qipao. It was this long blue dress thing that covered down to her ankles but split in half at her thighs. She was wearing these black leggings with it, which I didn't realize could draw that much attention. Then she had these nice black shoes and a small white bag that rested on her shoulder. I have to say, the way that qipao thing hugged her chest and her butt kinda did it for me when I…"

He blushed as he realized what he was about to say, looking away from his parents as he chuckled. "I mean… I don't see why that's important information. She just looked really beautiful and a lot of stuff led up to that. You're making things awkward." His father rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

"You really are becoming a little man," chuckled Carl. "Son, there's nothing wrong with enjoying a woman's figure. It's part of being a man. You should have seen the look on my face when I first saw your mother at the beach." Sandra quickly bopped her husband on the chest as she chuckled, realizing the look of horror and disgust on her son's face.

"Let's not get off track, Carl," requested the woman. "Need I remind you how embarrassing it was whenever Max tried to tell stories like that?" Carl Tennyson suddenly shivered, the embarrassing stories returning to his mind.

"Thanks for that. I DEFINITELY needed to be reminded of those." The woman could only roll her eyes as she returned her attention to her son, the boy waving his hands pleadingly.

"Can we please not talk about y'all's weird love life?" cried Ben. "I definitely don't wanna hear what Grandpa's been up to." He faked a gag in order to show his disgust, earning a chuckle from his parents.

"You're right. This is about you after all. Do you know what Jade likes? It's important to know what a girl is into." Ben was suddenly back in his smiling state as he rubbed his arms.

"Well we both like good games and comic books. She also loves gymnastics, even joining the Gymnastics club for meetings while she's here. She really likes fast paced music, especially K-Pop. Her favorite color is blue, she likes animals a lot, she does this cute thing with her hair sometimes…" His mother giggled at him as she shook her head.

"Ben, that last one was something you like about her. It sounds like you don't really know a lot about what she likes, if I'm being honest. Foods, clothes, festivals and other activities. Do you know if she likes dancing or a sport?"

Ben's eyes slowly widened in terror as his mother continued. "You said she was here for the Summer. Do you know anything about where she comes from, like her culture? How about…" Her husband stopped her with a shake of his head, slowly counting down each of his fingers before his their son began to shake his legs in anxiousness.

"She's from Hong Kong, which is in China. I know her real name is Chan Yu but she goes by Jade to not be confused when talking in English. I know she likes dresses and qipaos. I… I think she likes spicy foods… I…"

He suddenly grabbed the sides of his head as he went into full on panic mode. "AIYAH! I don't know enough about her! She's supposed to be one of my best friends and I don't even know much about her home country! I don't know all the foods she likes!"

He suddenly stood up as he began to pace back and forth. "I don't know any specific songs she likes from there because it's all in Mandarin. I don't know if she likes certain kinds of flowers or not! How am I supposed to do anything when I don't know much about her!?" His father chuckled as he waved his right hand in a dismissive manner.

"Ben, calm down," ordered the man. "You have plenty of time to learn more about the things she likes. If I were you, I'd start by trying to talk with her about her likes and interests. Maybe take some time to understand her culture. You wouldn't want to accidentally offend her by doing something wrong."

Ben slowly nodded his head, soaking in this information. "A person's culture can be a big part of who they are, especially in Far Eastern countries." The boy tilted his head as he began to dig through his memories.

"She seemed to talk about honor a lot when she was in distress the other day. I heard it a lot when some girls would be watching that Mulan movie, but I didn't think it'd actually be important like that. Maybe I should start there so that I can understand her troubles. What do you think?" His father nodded his head with a small grin.

"Some things that seem small to you can be pretty big to other people. I think that would be a very good place to start." His mother nodded her head as she placed a hand on his cheek.

"Just remember to be respectful of her and be yourself," added the woman. "No lying about who you are. If she thinks you're hiding your real self, she'll eventually notice. I think she might like you for who you are anyway, if she actually shows that much affection to you." Ben rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled, the memory making him blush. His father quickly shook his head in denial.

"Take your mother's words seriously, Son. People who put on a front to get a relationship usually lose that relationship immediately. If you're serious about this, the only person you should try to be is you." Ben hummed at this, tilting his head a bit. His reminiscing was cut off when his parents' next words sounded like the ringing of a bell.

---

Present

The boy jerked out of his daydreaming state as the class bell went off. He noticed kids around him beginning to pack up their bags, Jade included. He quickly followed the flow as his teacher tapped her desk a few times.

"Remember, read chapters ten through eleven to make sure you understand the material," reminded the woman. "Have a nice lunch." The boy quickly scribbled down the chapters in his notebook before putting it away. He stood up at the same time as Jade, walking out the door after her. His mind went back to prior times as he looked at the floor.

He had started his research, something he thought he'd never do outside of class projects, by looking into why honor is so important to Chinese culture. He was shocked to see that honor was basically everything when it came to Chinese social life. An entire family can be dishonored by the actions of one person, everyone facing the same punishment. Said punishment was being ostracized by the entirety of the community, leading to lost jobs and other horrible situations. It honestly made his blood boil when he thought about how the girls in Jade's school used such an important thing as a weapon against her.

From there he began to focus on social things he'd need to know if he ever ended up visiting her when she went back to Hong Kong. There were so many rules that it honestly made his head spin trying to understand them. He knew that bowing took the place of handshakes when it came to higher up people, entering someone's home requires you to take off your shoes, never give someone white flowers unless it's a funeral, they don't do tipping unless something is really good, first names are a no unless told it's fine, apparently soup is supposed to be slurped to show enjoyment… It all hurt his head to try and remember. He nearly missed his locker trying to remember if it was okay to even point at someone or not. He opened his locker to swap his books for his lunchbox, quickly interrupted by someone leaning against the locker beside him.

"Hey Ben," greeted Gwen. "Something, or should I say someone, on your mind?" The boy clicked his teeth in response as he slammed his locker door shut.

"No," answered Ben. "Just lost in thought." Gwen merely looked at her nails as if she were in the middle of a manicure.

"Oh. So you weren't looking at Jade the whole time during class. Good to know. I'm sure she'd love to hear all about it." Instead of writing her off or shooing her away, he sighed as he leaned his back against the locker.

"Who told you? Was it Mom?" His cousin grinned as she looked away, clearly planning to milk the situation for all it was worth.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Although, I just 'happened' to overhear my mom talking with yours over the phone recently. I heard some pretty interesting things, like how Jade apparently has a nice figure. Oh the fun things I could say." Ben rolled his eyes as he groaned.

"You want me to say it? Fine. You were right. Happy?" His cousin looked at him with a snarky grin.

"What? What am I right about?" Ben gestured away from her with his eyes a few times.

"Cash is coming through. I am not saying it out loud around him of all people." Gwen immediately backed off, nodding her head with a frown. They allowed the bully to walk past them, the boy being led by a member of staff. Ben sent a glare his way as he was sending one at them.

Ever since he was found quoting a maniac from a comic book, the Joker no less, the principal quickly caught wind of it. With his behavior as of late, as well as the rumor mill that was going around, the boy was now under close watch. He was also made to undergo mandatory therapeutic visits in order to determine his psychological health. It was clear that he blamed the group for his situation, given that he glares every time they see each other. As soon as Cash was out of the area, Ben released a sigh of relief. Realizing how close they were to a bad situation, Gwen slowly nodded her head.

"I won't make you say it THIS time." A smile grew on her face as she motioned for her cousin to walk with her, the boy doing just that. "You know, I could give you a helping hand. I happen to know certain things Jade likes that you might not know, given we talk a lot outside of class. You'd be surprised what girls talk about when we're alone together." Ben narrowed his eyes, a knowing frown on his face.

"I know you better than that. What's the catch?" Gwen held up her hands defensively as an innocent smile formed on her face.

"You worry too much. I just want to be your wing-girl… and I want three favors." Her smile was now serious as she looked him in the eye. "When I ask for them, no backing out and no excuses. If you can't do it when I ask, I'll hold you to it when you are fully able to do it."

They were soon approaching the lunch room door, the redhead noticing that Jade was talking to Simone by the entrance. She pointed towards the duo, Ben's eyes widening as Jade began to look their way. "Your window of opportunity is closing. My offer is about to expire." Ben leaned closer to her as the Chinese girl smiled at them.

"Alright! I'll do it!" Gwen smirked in success as she playfully pushed the boy away, giggling as she shook her head. This gave off the impression that he said something funny to her, causing Jade to roll her eyes with a smile of her own. The foreign girl played with her hair a bit as she looked towards Ben.

"Hey there, Mr. Hero," greeted Jade. "What took you two so long?" Ben was about to answer, only for Gwen to take over for him.

"We decided to step out of the way when Cash was walking by," lied the magical girl. "The principal did say to give him some space after all." This caused Jade to roll her eyes with a groan.

"Please don't bring him up." Her smile returned as she looked towards Ben. "Anyway, Maynard's saving our table. Simone and I were talking about her technique with the mantis style. Ready to eat?" Ben smirked as he nodded his head.

"Heck yeah!" cried the boy. Jade grabbed his hand as she pulled him along, causing the boy to blush as he stepped to her rhythm. Simone and Gwen were left alone, the tan skinned girl leaning towards the redhead.

"They have a crush on each other," said Simone in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's no way I'm seeing it wrong." Gwen smirked as she nodded her head.

"They'll both figure it out eventually," added the magical girl. She looked around before leaning towards the theater girl. "You didn't hear this from me, but Ben figured out his own feelings himself." Simone quickly looked her way in surprise, only to receive a shushing symbol and a giggle. "If he hears that I told you, I'll lose my favors and we won't have a pack mule for the mall later." Both girls giggled mischievously as they made their way into the room, taking their usual seats at the table.

It didn't take long for the group to dig into their meals, some small conversations being passed around. Maynard apparently had some family coming over that night, meaning he had to go straight home after school. Simone took time to mention a play she was looking to join, one depicting a moment from Greek Mythology. Gwen almost made a reference to Ben's feelings, only to change it to something else that the boy didn't pay attention to. Ben eventually lost interest in the others as he looked towards Jade, surprised when she looked his way at the same time.

"Hey Ben?" questioned the young Chan. "The gymnastics club canceled the meeting today due to the gym being reserved for a big game, but I'd still like to practice some gymnastics myself. I can't really do it without someone to watch me. I know Gwen's got something to do around that time so… wanna stick around and watch?" The boy jerked a bit in excitement as he immediately nodded his head.

"Yeah!" cheered the boy. He suddenly realized his overexcitement as he cleared his throat. "I mean… sure. Sounds cool." Jade smiled with a giggle as she looked away, hiding a blush with her hands.

She was mostly planning to just exercise to keep in shape, though she remembered the wisdom Viper passed down to her when they met in New York. The last time she wore her gymnastics uniform around Ben she had to mix it with some other clothes to be stealthy. He hadn't noticed it before but, if Viper was right, the outfit by itself would draw his attention like a moth to a flame. Gwen suddenly furrowed her brow as she looked up from her food. She was thankful that Maynard and Simone had gone to get some drinks as she looked towards Jade.

"Hey Jade?" questioned the redhead. "I thought you'd be out with Jackie today, on the trip to China." Jade quickly shrugged in response.

"It's just a trip to some old temple. It didn't sound that interesting and I was kinda busy when he told me. Why would I wanna go there?" Ben shared his cousin's expression as he looked between the two girls. He looked at Jade one more time as he held her shoulders.

"Jade, they think they found another talisman there," revealed the boy. "Grandpa asked us to stay here until he gets back so we couldn't go ourselves." The girl blinked multiple times at this. Now that she thought back, her uncle had mentioned that it was a business trip. Realizing that she was tricked, the girl took a deep breath.

"JACKIE!" roared Jade.

---

Temple of the Moving Stones

[Language: Mandarin]

Jackie sat in the back of a moving jeep, looking over the area. Section 13 had gotten a call about a temple in China having rocks that move, a clear sign to Uncle that something magical was afoot. Knowing that Jade would undoubtedly come along if she found out, the archeologist decided to just say he was going on a work trip, not making a big deal about it. She surprisingly didn't ask further, though she did look rather distracted when he told her he was leaving. The car suddenly began to jostle, causing him to gasp as he was brought out of his thoughts.

"My apologies, Mr. Chan," apologized the driver. "The slope is very bumpy. We are almost at the temple. I must admit, I never expected to see moving stones the first time I brought a customer here." Jackie nodded his head, allowing the man to return his focus to the road.

They soon reached a smoother area of the road, the bumping of the vehicle ceasing immediately. "The monks call it the Talus, named such because of how it creates a slope with its body when it rests. It is normally peaceful, though recently it has become agitated. The monks would not explain why, instead ushering people away from the temple." Jackie raised his brow, confused by this news.

"Do they not have a way to calm it?" questioned the archeologist. "I doubt it is a machine that can be turned off. It sounds like some form of magical creature. Do they even know how it came to be?" The driver shook his head in denial.

"The monks keep the origins of the Talus closely guarded. All that is known to outsiders is that the Talus first learned to walk 900 years ago. Since then, it has guarded the temple grounds from many attacks. Until it began stirring recently, I thought it was a myth." Jackie hummed at the term 'recently', filing it away for later.

They finally arrived at their destination, though it looked more like a collection of walls than an actual temple. If it weren't for the wooden sign, Jackie would have mistaken it for a monastery with no building. The taxi driver looked at Jackie as he nodded his head. "I was told the drive here was covered by a third party. I cannot remain here, as the Talus could mistake me for an intruder."

The car began to pull off as the man slowly rolled up his window. "I will drive for a few miles then return. Good luck, Mr. Chan." Jackie immediately held out his hands to try and stop the driver, but the man was gone. He then sighed as he shook his head.

"I never asked where they congregate here." Taking a moment to steel himself, the archeologist entered the temple grounds. He looked around the area, hoping to find someone he could talk to. He was surprised by how hard it was to locate a monk in a temple with only a few walls and no roof. He turned a corner as a robed figure was suddenly behind him, placing a scraggly hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" questioned the man. Jackie suddenly turned around as he gasped, taking a moment to pat his chest and breathe as the figure did not attack him. "Visiting hours have been canceled until the Talus has calmed. Leave at once." The former movie star quickly pulled out a small parchment, bowing to the man.

"I was given permission to visit from the head of the temple," revealed Jackie. "His word and signature as proof." The figure immediately grabbed up the cloth, looking it over. The individual hummed as he looked it over again. He sighed as he removed his hood, revealing the face of a kind old man.

"I could not be sure if you were the one I sent the message to. Tourists tend to have no respect for the temple's rules. Come, Mr. Chan. We do not have much time." Jackie nodded his head as he followed the monk, being led away from the walled area.

They made their way down a long set of stone stairs, the pathway carved into a cliffside. Jackie gulped as the path seemed rather narrow at some points, though they were easily able to get through said areas. They finally reached their destination as they passed through a stone gate, the entrance attached to no walls. This confused the guest, though he favored following the head monk instead of asking questions. "Welcome, Mr. Chan, to the Temple of Moving Stones."

Jackie looked over the area, impressed by the structure in front of him. The real temple was carved into another cliff, the entrance being a rather large cave. Monks of all ages walked through the area, some children running while being scolded by adults. A few young men were seen meditating on a set of stones, each of them deep in concentration. The duo were about to walk through the center of the common area, only for the monk to hold up his hand.

"Why are we stopping?" He did not receive a verbal answer, instead feeling the ground shake below him. The shaking became stronger and stronger as crashing sounds were heard inside the temple, only for them to stop as soon as they began. The head monk nodded his head, seemingly grateful for it. He turned towards his guest with a serious frown.

"Before you can be allowed to take the talisman, you must learn its history. There is much that needs to be understood, including the threat that will come to pass if the Rat falls into the wrong hands." Jackie nodded his head in understanding, only to jerk as he let out a surprised gasp.

"Wait. How did you…" The head monk suddenly chuckled in response, gesturing to the meditating monks.

"The Talismans of the Zodiac are not the only form of magic in this world, as your Uncle could tell you. Our seers foresaw this day months in advance, as well as the saddening truth that two have fallen into the clutches of the Accursed One." Jackie frowned, leaning forwards a bit.

"'The Accursed One'? Who are you talking about?" The head monk shook his head in understanding before gesturing to the temple.

"Come. All will be explained over tea." Jackie bowed respectfully as he followed the man inside, making sure to remove his shoes at the entrance. They soon found themselves in a secluded room, a young monk pouring tea for them. The boy bowed to the duo respectively before leaving the room.

The head of the temple took a sip of his tea, Jackie doing the same. "One thousand years ago, our ancestors lived in a time where magic was everywhere. It was as common as nature, the plants themselves carrying magical properties. There were twelve noble animals that watched over our world, the Zodiac. Chosen by the Jade Emperor himself to hold balance over this world."

He drew depictions of each animal head on the ground, lining them up in a circle. "They fought many battles together, acting as vassals of the emperor's will. They were the most powerful creatures in the land, but with great power comes those who covet that power. The most desired of them all, was the power of the Dragon." He pointed towards the dragon head, making sure Jackie had his focus on it.

He took a deep breath before continuing. "A member of an evil force known as the Heylin poisoned water from which the dragon drank with dark magic. The dragon had never tasted such power before, the divine creature slowly becoming corrupt as he longed for more. This sorcerer, hailing from beyond the southern borders of our land, offered to help the dragon gain more power, in return for him joining his other generals. Driven by greed, the dragon abandoned its grand purpose in pursuit of absolute power."

He struck a line through the dragon head, creating a very different face. He then slowly did the same for the other animal faces, only each one was erased completely. "The eight generals formed a dark brotherhood as they slaughtered the remaining noble animals, feeding the dragon their power. His corruption knew no bounds as he forcefully absorbed the souls of his former comrades into himself, twisting and shifting with each form he took until he himself took on a new form. In the end, the benevolent dragon that the emperor saw great promise in was gone."

He then created a new image with scattered stones, creating a symbol that honestly sent chills down Jackie's spine. "He became Shendu: The Accursed One. The sorcerer believed his own dark goals would finally be achieved, only for his generals to devour him piece by piece. His soul went to the eldest sister of the brotherhood, giving her a terrifying power over all forms of water. Over time, the remaining six each gained their own power in much the same way."

Jackie scooted back as the man held his arms out, the room seeming larger in the process. "They conquered the entire world, eight lands for eight generals. Eight Demon Sorcerers that plunged the Earth into a Dark Age of magic. Only a few years later, it seemed magic had left the world." The archeologist gulped as he pulled at his shirt, wishing it was Uncle who came instead of him.

"Where are these demons now? What happened to them?" The head monk moved the stones that made up the dragon's face out of the way, grabbing some white ones from nearby.

"The demons held a rule of one hundred years over the world, humanity losing all hope of freedom. Many who were born knew nothing of life before, forced to accept their fate. Then, only a year before the century long reign's end, the Chosen One appeared. He was a powerful sorcerer, a great light shining from within him. He was appointed by the emperor as the man who would slay the demons once and for all."

He began to line up the white stones in a specific pattern as Jackie leaned forwards, intrigued by the shape. "The Chosen One took on seven apprentices, each one gathered together under the goal of freeing our world from darkness. However, it was soon discovered that the demons could not be destroyed. Doing so would only bring imbalance, for a sudden influx of light would only cause the darkness to multiply. The Chosen One nearly returned to the Emperor in defeat and dishonor, until the heavens sent him a guide."

He finished forming the shape with his gathered stones, gesturing to it with a small smile. "This guide's name has been lost to the ages, though his title as the First Thinker and his symbol have remained for generations. It is this symbol that the seers saw at the end of their vision, the reason I knew it was a sign when your letter arrived at the temple. If you see someone with this symbol, defend him with your life." Jackie gave the symbol one more look, his eyes widening as he recognized it.

It was very reminiscent of the insignia the aliens had been wearing, the same symbol found on Ben's watch. This only added more questions to his concerns, the head monk clapping once to get his attention. "With the help of the First Thinker, Chosen One Lo Pei created a spell that would remove the power of the noble animals from Shendu. They also developed an elixir that, when applied to an object, would banish the Demon Sorcerers to a realm of emptiness. With the spell in play and the elixir applied to a sword, the Chosen One finally struck Shendu down."

He then scattered all but 12 of the stones. "His body was turned to stone, his original form coiled around his head. His original light, along with the souls of the remaining noble animals, fell from his body as stone talismans. It was by the Emperor's orders, and the First Thinker's guidance, that the Talismans were scattered to the four corners of the world. Only a handful, such as the Rat, remained within the borders of our land. Before his death, the Emperor gave his last command."

He shifted the twelve stones together, creating the form of a man. "Should the threat of Shendu ever return, Lo Pei would be reborn anew to face him. Within the remaining year, the apprentices battled and sealed away the remaining Demon Sorcerers. The First Thinker worked with them to create a special key, meant to keep the portals sealed. He then left our world, moving on to others that needed his guidance."

The man then put the stones away as he sat in a meditative stance. "The key has the power to open each portal individually but its destruction would see every demon become unbound. As such, the apprentices locked it away in a temple. The temple's location was erased from all maps, only a few books detailing it surviving. These were passed down to the descendants of the apprentices, some shifting hands to disciples when an apprentice's bloodline came to an end."

He took another sip of his tea, Jackie doing the same. "It took centuries for magic to return to our world, though it has yet to regain its former glory. It may eventually reach the same prominence it held before, as long as the demons remain sealed. Should the talismans be returned to Shendu, he would free his siblings and begin their rule again. This would undoubtedly destroy all forms of magic in our world, leaving them with no one to challenge their rule."

He then put his cup away, popping his back as he stretched. "That, Mr. Chan, is why it is important that the talismans be handled with utmost care." Jackie finally noticed his cup was empty, putting it to the side as he scooted forwards a bit.

"You said that the magic has balanced out and slowly has returned. If the demons were to be free, what would happen should they be destroyed." The old monk chuckled as he shook his head.

"If such a feat were possible in our modern age, their power would cycle through the world once more. It would become untainted magic, its destination determining whether it is power of light or darkness. Do not mistake either for good and evil, as any power can be corrupted save for that which is most holy. It is true that evil resides in darkness and that destroying all evil would leave our world imbalanced, but there is still good hidden within the dark. After all, there is a Yo within both Yin and Yang."

The monk clapped once again before slowly standing up. "Neither can exist without the other. Until a day where evil can be vanquished without destroying the darkness, a balance must be maintained. As such, someone or something would have to rise to replace the Demon Sorcerers. It is ultimately the universe that controls this balance. Our job is to ensure that the universe's will is upheld. Now that you understand this, I will take you to retrieve the talisman."

Jackie rose to his feet as well, immediately bowing to the monk in gratitude. "Come. The Talus awaits." The archeologist gulped, surprised by these words. The monk walked along the path, forcing the kung fu master to follow behind with a cry of confusion.

"I thought the Talus was too angry for visitors. Why are we going to it?" The old monk chuckled at this, shaking his head.

"The Talus guards the Rat Talisman, its power bringing him to life. His anger is wrought by the fact that Shendu has already reclaimed two of the talismans. As long as you are by my side, the Talus will bring no harm to you for it knows me well. I will retrieve the talisman with the ancient rite before delivering it unto you." Jackie nodded his head, only for the sound of crashing to catch the duo's attention.

The head monk frowned as he clenched his fists. "The Talus is enraged. Something is wrong." The duo ran through the tunnel, the sound of cracking stones soon ringing through the area. They soon entered a massive chamber, monks moaning on the ground.

"Daoshi," moaned one of the men. The head monk ran to the man's side, holding his head gently. "We were deceived by intruders who wore our robes. Talus is in danger." An explosion soon rocked the cave, the standing duo almost falling to the ground. Jackie growled as he clenched his fists.

"The Dark Hand," growled the man. "They must have intercepted your return message." The two men ran into the main chamber, heat rising within. They heard the deep cry of a man as they looked around the room, watching as Ratso flew through the air before crashing into the wall.

[Language Change: English]

"I hate my job," growled the olive skinned grunt. "I don't get paid enough for this." He then fell on his back, being down for the count. The rest of the Enforcers were then seen running around the room, a massive stone nearly squashing them. Another entrance suddenly broke to pieces as a massive figure walked through.

A massive conglomerate of pebbles and large stones walked forwards, its form almost being humanoid. The being had two indent areas on its head area, acting as its eyes in a sense. The center of its chest held a large diamond the size of Jackie's own body, a familiar hexagonal object inside. The object was the Rat Talisman, a white rat etched into the face of it.

"[Mandarin] The Talus has been enraged," stated the head Monk. "[Mandarin] Even I won't be able to calm him at this moment. If we do not remove the intruders, he will destroy the entire temple. Above all else, do not let its core merge with the mountain." Jackie gulped as he took a step back.

"[Mandarin] What does that mean?" questioned the archeologist. "[Mandarin] You don't mean it can get bigger, do you?" The old man nodded his head in confirmation.

"[Mandarin] If it merges with the mountain, the entire land will be threatened by its power. The diamond was chosen due to its ability to resist erosion over time. The Talus's fury and destruction would be eternal and swift." Chow and Finn were quickly cornered by the Talus, the golem raising its arms to strike at them. A rocket crashed into its back before it could complete its attack, the Talus stumbling forwards as stones were sent flying.

"Even after I break it apart, that diamond will be double the payday!" cheered a voice through a mechanical filter. A woman in metallic armor floated into the room, a jetpack on her back providing her propulsion. Her armor was blood red in color, the word "Rojo" etched into the helmet revealing her identity. The stomach region and legs of the armor were black in color, red detailing and white lining accentuating the feminine frame. In her hands was a rather bulky gun resembling a sniper rifle, a round magazine with several rockets inside attached to the bottom.

A shell popped out of the side of the gun as the Talus turned towards its assailant. "You're walking money, and I'm here to make a withdrawal." Jackie huffed as he gestured to the woman.

"WHERE DOES SHE KEEP GETTING THESE THINGS!" cried the martial artist. "FIRST AN EXPLODING ENERGY GUN AND A SMOKE GRENADE, AND NOW THIS!" Finn and Chow suddenly looked his way, smirking both in relief and in deviousness.

"Chan!" cried Finn. "We're actually glad to see you! Now you can distract this big rock guy!" The duo quickly ran over to Ratso, picking him up from both sides. Chow nodded his head as they pushed past the duo.

"Yeah!" cried the Asian villain. "Good luck!" The two grunts then cried out in fear as they ran away, Ratso moaning in their grasp. Rojo growled at the trio's exit. The face of her helmet raised up as she cupped one of her hands by her mouth.

"Pollos!" insulted the woman. "Are you wimps seriously running!? Valmont's best, he said!? Looks like that's my title now!" She dodged out of the way of a massive stone that was thrown her way, causing her to growl as the faceplate of her helmet dropped. Jackie frowned as he rolled his shoulders.

"[Mandarin] Get the other monks out of here," requested the archeologist. "[Mandarin] I will do my best to get her out of here." The head monk looked at him in shock, only to shake his head in denial.

"[Mandarin] We have magic for foul people like her," informed the man. "[Mandarin] Get the talisman. The rite is tapping the three corners of the diamond. Doing so clockwise will release the talisman." Jackie nodded his head as the man ran back the way they came. He shook his head as he jumped up and down again.

"Got it. Tap on each corner of the diamond." Rojo dodged another rock as she snickered evilly, causing Jackie's face to turn pale.

"Thanks for the information, Chan!" cheered the woman. "When I get the talisman and cash in my diamond, I'll repay ya with a bullet!" She flew at the Talus in an attempt to perform the rite, only for Jackie to suddenly jump on her back. "Hey! Get off! No free riders!"

Jackie kept his foot away from the flames of the jetpack as he tilted his body, causing the woman to turn away from the Talus. They sailed right past it as it tried to swat at them, nicking the bottom of her armored boot. "You're really getting annoying, Chan! You treat all women like surfboards!? No wonder you're single!" Jackie aimed her at a nearby wall as he leaned forwards.

"You are not a nice lady," stated the man. "I don't feel a need to be nice to you." He leapt off her back, landing feet first on the ground. He expected her to crash head first into the wall, only for her to turn on a dime as her jetpack saved her from crashing. She aimed her weapon at him, a chuckle under her throat.

"Flattery gets you a lot of things, including a rocket to the head." She was about to fire at him, only for a large stone to hit her weapon out of her hand. The rock crushed the cartridge upon the two objects landing, causing the weapon to explode. Jackie quickly jumped away before the blast wave could reach him, Rojo being sent flying through the air. She lost control of her jetpack as she flew out of the cave, crying out an explicit word in Spanish along the way.

Jackie groaned as he slowly got up, the cave rumbling around him. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling, the walls cracking a bit. He looked around for the Talus, only to finally notice the big shadow over him. He slowly turned around, his eyes widening as the stone golem towered over him. The being tilted its head stone to the right, Jackie doing the same in confusion.

Unbeknownst to the kung fu master, the golem was seeing him as a blue figure with a glowing green outline. It held out its arm to him, waiting patiently for his response. Thinking that the Talus was helping him up, he used the limb to push himself up. As soon as he touched it, the image of a very different man became visible to the being. Two white stones rolled into the eye slots, depicting a change in mood.

The cracking of the wall soon became unmissable, Jackie looking around in fear. The Talus immediately grabbed him up in its arms, squeezing him a bit as it did so. It started walking forwards before that walking slowly turned into a run. It shifted the diamond to its back, making a large place to put the martial artist in. It then made a huge "X" with its arms as it shielded him, breaking through rocks that fell from the ceiling.

Jackie couldn't help but cry out in fear as he curled into himself, small rocks sometimes getting through the cracks and lightly hitting him. On the outside, the people began to panic from the large amount of shaking that was going on. Rojo came flying out of the cave, screaming as she rammed into one of the stone walls. Her jetpack finally deactivated at that point, causing her to fall to the ground with a roll to not break any bones. One last big crash sounded from the cave as the entrance caved in.

The monks began to gather around, some having devastated looks on their faces. Their moods slowly began to raise again as the ground shook slightly. The Talus walked out of the dust and debris, many of its stones missing. It uncrossed its arms, Jackie panting as he looked around. He rolled out of the creature's cavity, allowing the diamond to return to its rightful spot.

"You… you saved me." He stood up as the Talus looked down at him, the white stones turning a bit as they became half white and half black. It was clearly a sign similar to that of squinting eyes as it wavered around a bit. The golem then began to deconstruct as it lowered down, the diamond with the talisman inside sitting on top of the pile like a pedestal. Jackie slowly picked the gemstone up, only to hear a gasp from the crowd.

"Hand over the diamond and the Talisman, Chan!" Jackie turned to face Rojo, only for his eyes to widen as she had one of the monks in her grasp. She made a blade extend from the wrist of her suit, keeping it close to the man's neck. "I'm done playing games for the day and I ain't leaving this place empty handed! If you don't give them to me on the count of tres, his blood is on your hands!"

She brought the blade to where it was touching the man's neck, causing him to whine a bit. "Uno… Dos… Tre…!" Jackie was about to move to save the man, only for the vile woman's blade arm to suddenly be unbent and at her side mid count.

She tried to move it, only for green magical energy to become visible. "What the…!?" She suddenly found herself lifted into the air by the green magic jerking as she tried to move. The monks that were meditating earlier held their palms up at her, chanting under their breaths. The Daoshi glared at the woman with clenched fists.

"[Mandarin] You came into this sacred place, attacked the sacred guardian, and threatened an innocent life," listed the head monk. "[Mandarin] You have brought dishonor upon your family. You are hereby banished from the temple grounds. Now, begone!" With a flick of his hand, her armor broke into pieces.

This left her in a black catsuit with gray patches, some black gloves, and a gray pair of boots. She then began flying away from the temple at high speeds. She growled while she was still within shouting range.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID, BUT THIS IS YOUR FAULT CHAN!" She continued to fly off into the distance, a green twinkle symbolizing her departure. The head monk groaned as he rubbed his temples.

[Language Change: Mandarin]

"She is lucky I spared her dignity. It is the least she deserves." Jackie looked towards the man, a concerned look on his face.

"Um… I do not believe she would survive from a fall that high," stated the former actor. "Are you sure that…" The Daoshi nodded his head in understanding.

"You have a good heart, Mr. Chan, but she will be fine. Good chi cannot be used to bring harm. It can only be used to destroy and repel evil. She will survive. If she is incapable of any good then she will die, so it would be good to hold out hope if she does indeed live." Jackie shook his head with a sigh.

"I'll have to take your word for it, Daoshi." He looked towards the diamond, tapping the corners in exactly the way required. The top of the gem glowed in green magic, the Rat Talisman slowly rising to the top before the glow stopped. Jackie quickly grabbed the talisman before putting it in his pocket. The other monks bowed to him respectfully before returning to their duties, including an attempt to remove the debris from the temple entrance.

Jackie narrowed his brows as he looked towards the head monk. "Earlier you said not even you could calm the Talus's fury. When Rojo was expelled from the temple, it did not attack me. Why is that?" The Daoshi smiled slyly at this question.

"Perhaps you proved yourself. Perhaps you reminded the Talus of an old friend. Who can say for certain? A western proverb I once heard: 'Do not look the gift yak in the mouth.'" Jackie chuckled a bit as he looked away, not having the heart to correct the old man. He shook his head as he returned his gaze forward.

"What about the diamond? Its existence would attract many thieves." The Daoshi took said gemstone from the man, revealing that he had a surprising amount of strength as he had an easier time holding it.

"Should the need arise, we will retrieve the talisman and place it inside once again. Until then, the diamond will be well cared for. The seers said you worry too much. Now go, for the world needs you much more than we do." Jackie nodded his head, making his way towards the exit.

As he walked, he failed to notice the small pebble that was bouncing after him. The stone bounced higher with each arc, soon reaching his pockets in height. It landed in the pocket without the talisman, going unnoticed. It snuggled into his wallet, leaving small dents in the leather.

---

Bellwood, Pennsylvania

Ben and Jade walked down the sidewalk, the girl practically skipping as it was just the two of them. Jade was clearly enjoying this moment alone while Ben was feeling nervous. The boy of the duo felt this way due to their chosen destination. The school gym acted as the meeting place for the gymnastics club due to having padded matts they could safely spread out on the basketball court to perform their techniques on. The next best thing to use would be carpet, but the Chans' quarters in Section 13 had no such flooring.

As such, Ben thought up an idea he thought would be too crazy to work. After all, what girl would want to do gymnastics in the middle of a boy's house right? It was to his complete shock that she actually said yes to the idea when she learned his house had nice carpeting. So here he was, leading Jade skipping her way back to his house. He fumbled his phone a bit in his hands as he sent a message to his parents, pleading with them to not embarrass him when they arrived.

"So what's your home life like, Ben?" questioned Jade. The boy almost dropped his phone at the question, controlling his blush as he put the device away. "I know I heard your mom talk when I called on the day Jackie brought back the Sheep Talisman, but we haven't really talked about it… Hey, are you ok?" Ben took deep breaths as he nodded his head, making a big smile pop up on his face.

"Yep!" huffed the boy. "Never better!" She looked him over as she slowly nodded her head, her face telling him she didn't buy his lie for a second.

"Right. So sweating so much that the pits of your shirt are wet isn't a sign that something's up." Ben gasped as he looked to the areas, only to frown as they were actually dry. He looked up with a deadpan look as she giggled. He let loose a fake laugh as he shook his head, a more genuine smirk on his face.

Jade formed a considerate smile as she shook her head. "If something's wrong or it's not a good day I can just go home." Remembering what his parents said to him, Ben took a deep breath before shaking his head.

"It's just… I've never brought a girl home that's not Gwen. I'm worried about Mom and Dad embarrassing us by coming to conclusions. I love them but Mom is especially jumpy." He looked towards his friend, only to quickly notice her frown. She stopped skipping as she looked down, her movement turning into a walk.

"I wish I had parents like that." The boy felt a pain of guilt in his gut as he tried to find something to say, only for Jade to immediately smile at him again. "Guess I have something to look forward to when we get there then. I'll get to see what real parenting looks like for once. I for one can't wait."

She went back to skipping as Ben slowed down a bit, confused by what just happened. He wasn't expecting Jade to suddenly jump between emotions like that. Shaking his head to regain his focus, he sped up to stay by her side. They were almost to his place when Jade came to a stop. "Whoa."

Ben followed her gaze, noticing a red house that was well detailed. He remembered passing it every now and again, though he never really paid much attention to the design before. "That's a nice house. It's on sale too." The boy looked towards his friend as he smirked.

"It's just a house. I'll give you that it's got a nice paint job but it's the exact same shape as mine." Jade quickly shook her head in denial.

"I like it. You don't see a lot of nice houses these days. I wouldn't mind living in one just like this." Ben blushed, immediately regretting and feeling thankful for his comment about the similarities between the building and his house. He cleared his throat as he shook his head.

"I've seen it a thousand times when I have to walk home from school. Still, if you like it then I'm alright with it." Jade rolled her eyes as she turned away from the boy, her smile still on her face.

"Gwen's right. You are such a boy." She began skipping away, her smile widening as Ben ran to catch up.

"I still don't see how that's an insult." He earned a giggle in return for his comment, causing him to sigh. He soon grabbed Jade's arm lightly before they could walk far beyond the next mailbox. "We're here." Jade grinned as she turned towards the building, adjusting her backpack and duffle bag.

"Sweet! Let's go say hi!" She immediately grabbed the boy by his wrist as she pulled him along, causing him to blush. He tried to open the door as soon as they reached it, only for the lock to still be deadbolted. He knocked on the door, his blush being replaced by a concerned frown.

"Mom!? Dad!? We're here!" He heard a bit of shuffling inside, along with a clatter that could have only come from the kitchen. He saw a shadow in the kitchen window, the figure in the curtains resembling his mother.

"Your father will be right there!" cried Sandra. "He's preparing a space while I make snacks!" He gestured to the front door in spite knowing that his mother couldn't see him move.

"Why did you lock the front door?! I texted you to let you know we were almost here!" The shadow of his mother shifted in response to his outcry.

"Well, we can't have our guest walk into a messy house! Just give us a moment!" Ben grumbled a bit at the scene, already embarrassed. He felt a bit worse when he heard Jade giggle, his blush growing. He looked her way, noticing that her smile was still present.

"It's fine, Ben," reassured the young Chan. "They just want to make your home look nicer. That feels like a universal thing between cultures because my folks would be horrified if guests walked in to find a mess. I'm honestly happy being here right now." Ben let a small smile form on his face as he slowly nodded his head.

"I'm coming!" cried the voice of his father. Carl Tennyson opened the front door, Ben standing straight as a board. "Hey! You must be Jade. Ben's been saying good things about you so it's nice to see you in person." Ben blushed madly as he silently begged his father to stop, Jade having a smaller blush of her own as she politely bowed to the man.

"Thank you for allowing me into your home, Mr. Tennyson. I do not wish to intrude." His father nodded his head slightly as he chuckled.

"Not at all. Come in and make yourself at home." Jade quickly kicked off her shoes before walking inside, Ben finally releasing a groan as quietly as possible as he gestured to his father. Knowing exactly what his son was going through, Carl could only roll his eyes with a chuckle as he followed behind Jade. The boy finally stopped his grumbling as he walked inside, his hands in his pockets as his blush remained.

As soon as he entered, he noticed something incredibly off. Two rather large pieces of furniture were missing from the living room, the couch and the coffee table to be precise. He knitted his brows together as he tried to come up with an answer in his head, only to turn to his father in confusion.

"Where the heck are the couch and the coffee table?" questioned Ben. "Why'd you throw them out?" His mother quickly popped her head into view from the kitchen, smiling knowingly at her son.

"I had your father put them away," answered the woman. "There's no way I'm letting you have a girl alone in your room, young man. Jade needs a place to practice her gymnastics, and I was thinking of rearranging things anyway. Win-win in my book." Ben could not blush any further at the moment, though his attempt to not scream clearly showed his frustration at his parents continuing to embarrass him in spite of him asking them not to.

Sandra suddenly stepped fully into view as she noticed Jade, a bowl in her hands and a grin on her face. "Welcome, Jade! You look so adorable! I love your skirt." Jade looked towards her feet as she smiled, playing with the hem of her skirt a bit.

"Thank you, Mrs. Tennyson." She looked at the woman with a big smile. "You have a very nice home." Sandra bowed her head slightly in response.

"Thank you. I hope Ben didn't give you too much trouble on the way here. He's a sweet boy but he can be a bit of a rascal when he wants to be." Ben held his hands together pleadingly out of Jade's line of sight, earning a silent snicker from his mother. Jade grinned as she shook her head.

"He's been very nice, Mrs. Tennyson. He can be a total boy sometimes, like when he keeps thinking too forward. We passed by a really nice house on our way here and he just saw it as another building he walks by every day. Even after all that, he's still one of my best friends." Ben smiled at that last comment, crossing his arms as he rolled his eyes.

"One of these days you'll have to tell me how being a boy is an insult," stated the boy. Both Jade and his mother giggled at him, causing his smile to disappear. His friend turned towards him as she placed a hand on her hip, one of her brows quirked.

"Maybe I'll keep it a secret if you can't understand what it means. It's pretty obvious when you think about it." Ben looked away with a little huff, his mother rolling her eyes as she knew what was coming next.

"Would you like to help me in the kitchen, Jade?" questioned the woman. "I'm trying to make some latiao but I'm still learning." The young Chan's eyes suddenly lit up as she tensed up a bit.

"Latiao!? That's my favorite!" Realizing the impression she was giving off, she quickly stood straight before clearing her throat. "I would love to help, Mrs. Tennyson." The girls walked into the kitchen, Jade doing so with a skip in her step. Carl nodded at his son with a small sigh.

"Ben, a word?" requested the man. The boy rolled his eyes as he let out a sad sigh, though he did file away Jade's excitement for latiao away for later. He walked over to his father, his arms still crossed.

"I asked you guys to not embarrass me," moaned the boy as quietly as possible. "I even begged for it, Dad." Carl could only smile as he shook his head.

"Seems like Jade's having a good time. We're just putting our real selves out there, the same advice I gave you a while ago. You need to relax before you get to where both you AND Jade can't enjoy this visit. A man has to know when to step back and be in the moment when the girl he likes is enjoying something. Trust me, it'll save you a lot of fights in the future." Ben jerked a bit, honestly scared by what his father said.

"Fights? What are you talking about?" His father looked towards the kitchen for a moment before pulling his son closer.

"Everyone fights from time to time, Ben, especially in a relationship. No matter whether it's a friendship or even marriage, there could be something so small that you disagree on that eventually grows to the point you and the other person might stop talking to each other. It could be anything from you missing a shower to… a salt shaker incident." He shook a bit as he looked off into space. "Your mother wouldn't talk to me for a week after that one."

Ben shifted in discomfort a bit, not liking the sound of that. Carl regained his composure as he looked towards his son. "The point is, sometimes you have to learn to put on a face when you don't enjoy something as much as the girl you like. Showing that you're trying to be supportive can go a long way. Take the house incident for example."

He gestured to where he figured the building was, feeling like he didn't have time to ask which direction. "Even if you didn't think it was that nice, you could have just agreed with her and let her enjoy it." Ben sent his father an incredulous look as he gestured towards the kitchen.

"That'd be lying! You said to be honest with her!" His father shook his head as his smile slowly disappeared.

"Being honest is one thing, but being blunt is rather rude and can be a turn off as well. No girl wants a boy that is always rude and uncaring, bluntness being a big factor in showing those bad traits. You have to find a balance that doesn't hurt your relationship with her. When you can do that, maybe she'll drop the 'such a boy' comments."

Ben honestly began to feel bad as he returned his eyes to the floor, not realizing that he was being rude to the girl. He never wanted that to happen. Carl sighed as he put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't feel bad. You'll make yourself go crazy if you keep this up."

He gestured to the two of them with a small smile. "Besides, there isn't a man alive that can understand a girl one hundred percent. It gets harder when they grow up and become women. Your mother will tell you that it's because girls are biologically more emotional and nurturing than men, but if you ask me they basically live in a different world than us guys." Ben was about to comment, only to freeze as he felt a familiar presence in the room.

"Oh really?" questioned the voice of his mother. Carl suddenly stood up straight, showing that freezing when caught was a masculine trait of the Tennysons. "We live in two different worlds, huh? Please do tell me more, Carl." His father hummed as he looked around, only to mimic Ben's earlier pleading position.

"It's just boys messing around, Honey. You know I love you very much." Sandra nodded her head with a knowing look.

"Mhm. We'll be talking about this tomorrow. Tonight you can sleep on the couch, after pulling it out of the closet." Carl lowered his head with a sigh, grumbling under his breath when his wife turned around. Ben was about to question the closet comment when Jade walked out of the kitchen with a small tray in hand.

"Ben, you have got to try one of these!" cheered the young Chan. "They're a little spicy but I promise they're good! It's one of my favorite snacks in the whole world!" Ben looked it over, letting a smile grow on his face. They looked like spicy snack chips, only long and straw-like.

There was even a bit of a shine to them, something that gave them an almost candy-like appeal. Ben shrugged as he popped one in his mouth, taking the time to chew it. At first he tasted sweetness, something that he wasn't expecting from Jade's description. The promised spice soon came as he looked the girl in the eye. He felt his smile grow a bit more as he nodded his head.

"Not bad," complimented the boy. "I'd definitely need some drink after a few of these, but I honestly wasn't expecting the transition from sweet to spicy." Jade raised up on her toes a bit in joy before setting the tray on the armchair. She walked back into the kitchen, Ben picking up another as soon as she was out of earshot. "I'd prefer chilly fries but I can definitely eat these."

He popped the second one into his mouth, hooting a bit as he leaned back. "That one was extra spicy. On second thought, I could get used to these." He hummed as he looked at the floor. 'Maybe I should start looking at things from different angles more often.'

He let this thought stew in his head as the evening drew near, the day being filled with interesting events. Soon different snacks of all kinds were on plates around the room, some being completely new to Ben. The kids went back and forth trying new snacks, Jade getting a kick out of catching cheese puffcorn in her mouth. Ben was thankful that his parents dialed back a bit on the behavior he found embarrassing, though they still had their moments. The duo was in the midst of taking a drink when Sandra walked into the room.

"Why don't you go ahead and get dressed to practice, Jade?" suggested the woman. "That was the reason you came over, after all." Jade suddenly jumped up to her feet as she gasped.

"I forgot!" cried the young Chan. She picked up her duffel bag before nodding at Ben. "Hold down the snack fort, Private Tennyson! I'll be right back." She quickly ran for the bathroom, Ben sending her a salute with a goofy grin.

"Yes ma'am, Major Chan!" cheered the boy. He waited for her to be in said room before he stuffed a few latiao into his mouth. "How are these so addicting!? I could eat these all day!" His mother giggled at him as she shook her head.

"Sometimes the best things don't have extravagant flavors, Ben," answered Sandra. "It's important to understand things like that when you want to understand someone's culture, especially the food. Like that nice burgundy house down the street. Sometimes you need to appreciate a house as a home rather than the paint that's on it." Ben tilted his head a bit, confused by the statement.

"I prefer green anyway. I thought it was red though. Burgundy is a deeper brown than what I remember seeing. Are we talking about the same place?" His mother could only smirk at him as she shook her head in denial.

"Well maybe you should get a better look next time. Some things can only be appreciated with a second look." Ben rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Alright. I get the message." He took another bite of the foreign snack, quickly pushing some aside for Jade. "I need to stop before there's not enough left for Jade. I know I'd be furious if someone ate most of my favorite food." His mother smirked knowingly as she tilted her head a bit.

"Well that's thoughtful of you. Looks like you're growing up. Were there any in particular you liked more? You wolfed them down so quickly at times." Ben frowned at the question, only to tilt his head a bit.

"Well… the shinier ones had the best heat to them. They even had more crunch." He only just now noticed the mischievous smirk on his mother's face. "What?" She quickly shrugged in response to his question.

"Oh nothing. I'm just happy that you like Jade's baking. You definitely want a partner who can cook good food, seeing as you almost religiously eat nothing but chilly fries." Ben raised his pointer finger as he closed his eyes, attempting to look like a wise monk.

"No slander to the chili fries. They're still the best American food ever…" His eyes widened as his finger suddenly dropped. "Jade made the shiny ones?" His mother nodded her head, knowing full well how her son was reacting to the news.

The sound of the bathroom door opening caught the duo's attention. Ben quickly looked towards Jade before returning his view to his mother, only to double back as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped a bit. It felt like the beach all over again, only it was happening in his own house. While he had seen Jade's gymnastics uniform before, he had no idea it was a leotard. While it did have long sleeves to it, there were no leggings to the uniform. Her legs were on full display, the boy unable to get his mind off how smooth they looked. The outfit wasn't showing off as much as the bathing suit she wore that one time, though it still left him feeling incredibly warm.

Ben's mind cried out in pure shock and excitement as he felt a stiffness in his lower regions, doing his best to make it slow down. The boy gulped as he pulled at his shirt collar a bit, trying not to show his excitement outwardly. His mother leaned closer to him with another knowing grin.

"Now you get the message." She immediately pushed his jaw up, bringing him back to reality as he kept it in place. "Also, don't leave your mouth open. It's rude and you'll catch flies." Jade, unable to hear what they were saying, stopped walking when she was only a few feet away from them.

"I usually have an instructor telling me where to start so that I don't repeat the same exercise," revealed the gymnast. "I'm kinda going in blind here. Also, my uncle just got back from his trip so I'll need to head back to the family antique shop in a few hours. If I could get a ride back…" Sandra nodded her head with a smile.

"I'll drive you back. It would be no trouble at all." Jade smiled as she nodded her head. The idea of being around an older woman by herself made her excited to get some actual advice. Ben hummed in confusion as he crossed his arms.

"Why would it matter if you do the same things as last time?" questioned the boy. "Isn't that part of working out?" His father decided to re-enter the room as he shook his head.

"That's not how exercising works, Son," revealed the man. "Everyone has to mix up their workout routine between days, even guys at the gym. It's all about giving the muscles you worked out time to rest." Ben slowly nodded his head in understanding, only to stiffen as he watched Jade place a hand on her hip. The way she tilted made for an even more alluring sight, the boy unsure how she could look more beautiful by merely changing her stance.

"Sounds like you need to pay more attention in gym class," joked the young Chan. "I'd move the snack plates that are on the floor to different spots. I need a lot of room." Ben suddenly went to work, surprising his folks by how fast he was picking things up. This earned him a giggle from Jade as he tried to carry as many plates as his arms could hold.

"Slow down son! Let me give you a hand." Carl immediately took some of the plates so that they wouldn't fall, Ben silently thanking the man. Ben led the charge as he and his father transferred everything to the kitchen. Sandra placed her hands on her hips as she shook her head.

'Goodness,' thought the woman. 'Ben really has fallen head over heels for this girl. Maybe if I let them go to his room he would have cleaned it for once.' She giggled to herself as she suddenly thought of something. 'Then again, knowing boys, he wouldn't have cared until she said something.'

Jade stood in the middle of the area, confused by her friend's sudden tidiness yet also thankful for it. She decided to start with some stretches, wanting to limber up before the actual exercises. She started with her arms, preparing them just in case she needed to catch herself. Once her arm stretches were done, she decided to go for toe touches. Ben came back into the room as she bent over, freezing as her back was turned to him. The fact that her butt was the first thing he saw did not help the inferno that hit his cheeks.

She then slowly did the splits, giving him even more of a show as she did so. He did not know someone could be so flexible, nor how interesting it was to watch a girl do so. She twisted to touch her toes a few times, grunting as she did so. Ben stepped back a bit when she began to turn enough to where she could see him, walking like he was mid stride as soon as she noticed him. She actually grinned through gritted teeth as she hugged her torso underneath her chest.

"See something you like~?" questioned the girl. Ben fought the urge to immediately confirm her suspicions as he cleared his throat, though this only made her grin widen. The boy patted his cheeks a few times before looking at her again.

"Doesn't that hurt?" questioned Ben. "Stretching your legs like that can't be comfortable." Jade rolled her eyes as she looked forwards again.

"It kinda hurts, but it's only because I've not been doing my stretches at home. It's not really a bad pain once you get used to it. I might need help getting up when I'm done though." Ben gulped as he nodded his head, trying his best not to return his gaze to her butt. He took deep breaths as he tried to control the butterflies in his stomach, wishing that they'd stop fluttering so much.

Jade moaned a bit as she shifted uncomfortably. "Okay. Help." Ben immediately ran to her side as he let her brace herself against his arms. It took all of his might to not move his arms when she pushed, though she was eventually able to shift to a normal sitting position. She took a moment to breathe as she rubbed between her legs near her thighs.

She huffed as she rolled her shoulders. "I really need Jackie to get that room set up for me quickly. I can't keep going through that." Ben frowned as he clenched his fists, only to smile again when Jade looked up at him. "Thanks." The boy rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled.

"Anytime. I'm always happy to help. Whether it's cheering you on or being there to catch you. I won't even need the Omnitrix to do it." Jade grinned mischievously as she looked him in the eye.

"Oh? Does that mean you'll be watching me do gymnastics more often? Not afraid of guys making fun of you for wanting to watch a bunch of girls?" Ben blushed, completely forgetting his comment from their first meeting. He cleared his throat again as a form of regaining his composure.

"I mean… if you want. I like supporting you, so it's a win-win in my book." Jade's smile became more genuine as he moved his hand away from his mouth, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

"You're sweet, Ben, and I'll be holding you to that." The boy allowed his blush to settle, his mind made up. The Tennyson parents looked towards each other, smirks of pride on their faces.

"He's growing up before our eyes," whispered Sandra. "I was worried he never would. Now I get to watch and take pictures of him trying to get the girl, while making sure everything's on the clean side of course." Her husband rolled his eyes, though his smile and nod made it clear he agreed with her. The woman popped up her phone real quick as she snuck a picture of Jade doing some light pushups, Ben doing his best to keep his eyes where they should be. The visitor eventually stood up, clapping her hands together.

"Alright! For this first one I need some help. Ben take five for a moment as this one is girls only." The boy shrugged as he took a seat in the armchair, patiently waiting for whatever exercise she was about to perform. His mother quickly walked over with an intrigued smile on her face.

"Sounds like a rather personal exercise. What's the plan?" The Chinese girl blushed as she shook her head.

"Well if I did this exercise with a boy as my partner, my father would never let me see them again. I quite like hanging out with Ben." The boy in question felt the intense heat return to his cheeks, the question of just what kind of exercise this was plaguing his mind. "I need you to be behind me, ready to catch me when I cry out. That would mean I'm falling backwards, which would not end well."

The older woman nodded her head as she prepared herself, Jade getting down on the floor. It looked like she was about to perform pushups again, only for her to transition into a handstand. Her legs were curled up against her torso, huffing as she kept herself balanced. "I have to stay like this, periodically splitting my legs." She huffed again as Sandra shifted to be in a better spot.

She found breath to speak again as she prepared herself. "I'll be going back and forth for five minutes." Ben tilted his head as he leaned a bit closer.

'Wait.' thought the boy. 'Wouldn't that mean…?' His question was answered when Jade split her legs, leaving nothing to the imagination of a close observer. Though Ben was not in such a position, he still felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest as he held his hand over his mouth. He did not move his eyes for the next five minutes, mentally screaming as testosterone flowed like a river through his body.

Due to this, he began to notice how sweat was quickly covering her body. Her face was beginning to turn red from all of the blood rushing to it. The girl finally couldn't take anymore as she began to fall, curling up as she rolled across the ground. "JADE!" The girl eventually splayed out, huffing as her head tilted back and forth.

"I'm okay! I just… need five minutes. Can I get some water?" Ben immediately hopped up from his seat, pushing past his father as he ran for the kitchen. Carl actually looked between the seat and the kitchen a few times, surprised by his son's reaction time.

The boy immediately returned with one of the large cups, the glass filled with water. Jade immediately took it from him, downing it half way before handing the cup back to him. "Thanks. If I could do this more often it wouldn't be as big of an issue." Ben nodded his head, once again noting how her situation isn't helping her gymnastics training.

Five more minutes passed before Jade stood up, stretching her back a bit, Ben quickly noticing how nice her chest was popping out. "Okay. Now I need you to stand ready while I hold one of my legs up, Mrs. Tennyson. I'll need to do this twice with each leg." The woman in question quickly stood behind her again, ready to help. Ben actually narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Lift your leg up? How's that…?" His question was answered before it could finish as Jade held one of her legs above her head, hugging it close as she balanced on her remaining one. "HOLY COW! I didn't know a leg could bend that far!" Jade let loose a dry laugh as she tried to focus.

"You think this is impressive? Some people can hold both of their legs behind their heads at the same time. Those human pretzel people you see on tv are very real." Ben blinked multiple times, still shocked by all the news. As time went on, Jade continued to defy his understanding of how flexible the human body could be.

His former bashfulness and arousal was overshadowed by intrigue with each and every exercise. It was one thing to hear about these kinds of things but viewing them was a whole other experience. Ben then took notice of how much sweat Jade had built up, covering her from head to toe. It went to show just how taxing all of this was. He looked down at the ground as he frowned.

'And she could be having an easier time or doing more if she could practice at home. I kinda wanna see that, and not for the reasons other guys talk about. I see that benefit too, but now I'm just curious how far she can go. Maybe…' He heard Jade giggle, causing him to look up as she was in the middle of resting again.

"If you're thinking of trying this out, you're a few years too late for the big stuff. The human body begins to stop being as flexible when you turn 8 to 10. It's why my parents started me early. I'm glad I kept up with it too, as it makes learning Kung Fu a heck of a lot easier." Ben smirked as he moved his hands away from his face. He waited for his friend to shift a bit before speaking.

"Ah well. At least I get to see what the human body can do. You make it look easy, but I can tell it takes a lot. I've had to run for water ten times now." Jade's smile turned mischievous once again, a look that was beginning to worry him.

"Admit it. You just like getting to see a girl do a bunch of poses that would be improper in most public places. There's a reason the other boys tease like that, because it's something they'd probably want to see too. You're lucky enough to get a one on one show, even if it is supervised." Ben blushed as he looked away, harrumphing as he heard his crush giggle.

"I know I'm lucky. My best friend is a cute girl who's messing with my head while wearing a leotard." He looked back towards Jade, noticing that her blush was crimson like his own. "...I didn't say that out loud did I?" Jade huffed a lot, worrying Ben.

She began to fall forward, Ben immediately moving from his seat. "JADE!" He quickly caught her before she could collapse, getting a hold of her chest. He blushed madly due to where exactly he was touching, the softness surprising him, only for him to ignore his nerves as he quickly swapped to having his hands under her arms. He found a surprising amount of strength within him as he moved Jade to his prior seat, carefully setting her down. The girl sighed as she sunk into the chair.

"Sorry. I'm… ruining… the chair." Ben gave her a moment to regain more composure as he folded his arms, tapping his foot rapidly.

"The chair!? I'm worried about you! Why didn't you stop sooner!? You could have hurt yourself!" Jade shook her head with a sigh.

"That's what instructors are for, Ben. I can't always notice or feel my own limits. I need someone with experience to watch over me. My adorkable best friend doesn't exactly count." Ben scoffed at the name, only to smile at her trying to be cute.

Jade continued to take up his seat in the armchair as her body cooled down, using towels so as to not get the furniture wet with sweat. Ben surprisingly took well to caring for her, bringing her waters and latiao upon request. Eventually the time for them to part came near. Jade had found the energy and the time to go to the bathroom, take a shower, and change back into her clothes from school. She used a wet gym towel to cool down her neck. She stood at the entrance to the home with Mrs. Tennyson as the woman fiddled with her keys a bit.

"And with that we're all set," stated the woman. She looked towards her son with a knowing smile. "I know you'd want to come with us, Ben, but if I recall you have a report due tomorrow. You'll want to finish that up so that you can keep your grades up." Ben sighed at the reminder as he slumped forwards.

"I know, Mom," stated the boy. "I'm almost done with it. I'll get it done before you get back." His mother gave him a raised brow in order to gauge his seriousness, only to lower it when he didn't show signs of nervousness. The fact that his eyebrow didn't twitch, a big tell of his, was enough reassurance for her to fully back off.

Ben looked towards Jade as he let his smile return. "Today was fun. I'm honestly really glad you came. I was worried things would get too awkward and you wouldn't enjoy it." He earned another mischievous look from his friend, growing used to it at this point.

"Fun?" questioned the young Chan, putting her hand on her hip once more. "I guess you really did enjoy the view~." Ben tried to laugh her tease off, though his blush betrayed him as that hip thing distracted him even more. "I had fun too. It was nice to have a fresh audience and to enjoy those tasty snacks."

Jade then bowed to Mr. Tennyson. "Thank you for having me. If it's no trouble, I wouldn't mind visiting again, to practice or just to visit Ben." Ben's blush grew at the mention of visiting him specifically, a dopey grin on his face. His father returned the gesture, showing respect for her culture.

"We'd love to have you again," informed Carl. "Anytime you want to stop by, just give us a call." Jade smirked as she stood straight up.

"I'll definitely do that, especially when I finally get my own phone." The way she huffed afterwards showed off her annoyance with the detail, though Ben couldn't help chalking it up as another thing he thought was cute about her. "I have a phone back home but Father wouldn't let me bring it. He probably doesn't want me calling in the middle of the night for them or something." Ben frowned as he noticed the slight hitch in Jade's breath, reminded of her familial troubles. Either unaware of this cue or feeling a need to cut things off, Sandra pressed the unlock button on her car keys.

"Well we better get going. Rush hour should be setting in soon and it sounds like you need to get home quickly. I'll be back in time to make supper, boys!" She gently led Jade along, the girl not having the energy to do any fancy footwork. As soon as they were situated in the vehicle, Mrs. Tennyson took off down the road. She waited a while before glancing at the rear view mirror.

Jade was watching the Tennyson household disappear into the distance, a sad look on her face. The woman returned her attention to the road as she slowly made a turn. "So Jade, how's life at home? Do your parents treat you well?" The young Chan didn't look away from her target as she sighed.

"Everything's fine. Mother and Father are just… busy all the time. I guess that's just how life is sometimes. My father only put me in gymnastics so I would stop bugging him. He's never even been to any of my recitals or competitions."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she tried to fight off any tears that would have started to form. "Why should I expect anything different? They've been pushing me away all my life unless they need to impress guests. I'm only here because I cut my stupid hair from waist length to above my shoulders and…"

Jade soon realized what she was doing, stopping herself as she looked at her feet with her arms crossed under her chest while biting her lip. "And now I'm rambling to someone I just met, the mom of my best friend too. Great job, Chan Yu." Sandra remained quiet for a moment as she kept her eyes on the road, some heavy traffic going on. Once she was in a better position, she looked back towards Jade again.

"Jade, you are a beautiful young lady. I'm sure that whatever distance is between you and your parents is either a wrong approach or just something you aren't seeing yet. I bet you that, if you found a good way to communicate with them, they'd listen to everything you need to tell them. A good parent will hear their child out when they're needed most." Jade huffed at this as she looked to the other side of the car.

"The only reason I was born was to be married off in some big deal. Father started looking for future husbands when I was ten. I know the law and our culture and I love my home, but sometimes I just want to get away from it all for good. It's not like my parents care about how I feel." Sandra glared softly before returning her view to the road ahead.

"Jade, running away from your problems is never the answer. You are assuming things without knowing or understanding why they happen. I'm sure that your parents love you deeply, but everyone has their faults. You can always try smoothing things out with them, and I'm sure the rest of your family will be ready to help if you ask when you need them. I know a certain member of my family is already willing to fight tooth and nail if you need him."

This caused Jade to give a shy chuckle as she smiled, the expression changing to one longing as she rested her head in her palm. "It's just the two of us and a mother has to be curious. I've seen the way you look at him. And you were definitely showing off today." The Chinese girl sighed as she kept her eyes on the passing buildings.

"Yeah. Guess it's not hard to see when a girl comes to your house to show off a leotard. I mean I did need to practice but yeah, you're not wrong." This caused Sandra to giggle as she shook her head. She stopped at a red light as she watched an old lady cross the street.

"I was your age once, Jade. I know all about trying to woo a boy. You're lucky Ben's been growing up as of late. His father was fifteen when I tried to get his attention; it didn't work until he was seventeen. You have a real effect on Ben, something I'm actually thankful for. Think you could get him to clean his room?" Jade smirked at her with a tilt of her head.

"Only if you let us go in his room. Can't get him to do something if I'm not gonna be there." This caused Mrs. Tennyson to laugh heartily.

"Not for a few years, young lady. I wasn't born yesterday. I know what could happen when two kids are left alone without supervision." Jade felt a blush form on her face as she looked away. She shifted in the seat in a bit of discomfort.

"I would never do that before marriage. It would be dishonorable." Sandra smirked as she shook her head, pushing down the gas to make the car move once more.

"The fact that you know what I'm talking about tells me it could happen. You can never be too careful when it comes to relationships between kids, especially aroused teenagers. I would know; I had three friends growing up that did it when they swore they wouldn't. When two teens feel a 'need' it's hard not to do the deed." Jade gagged in disgust as she shook her head, earning a chuckle from the driver.

She pulled up to the designated area of the city, keeping her eyes peeled for the antique shop. "You do that now but wait until it happens. You'll find that no matter how old you get, desire is a powerful emotion. Just a bit of advice from one woman to another." Jade smiled as she nodded her head, happy to have it.

She began to wonder if this was what a motherly relationship was like when Sandra brought the car to a stop. "We're here. I need to run some quick errands so you'll have to go in alone but one more thing. Think about what I said about you trying to talk with your parents. They might surprise you if you give them the chance."

Jade simply nodded her head as she undid her seatbelt, getting out of the car. She hoisted her bookbag and her duffel bag onto her shoulders before shutting the door, Sandra rolling down the window on the driver side quickly. "Let us know the next time you have a recital or competition going on. I always loved performances, and we both know why Ben would want to be there." Both woman and girl chuckled, Jade shaking her head.

"I will. Hopefully when I do, Uncle won't hog the phone all day." The young Chan quickly bowed to Mrs. Tennyson before running into the shop. She didn't even bother to see if Uncle was out and about as she rushed for her former guest room. She leaned against the door as she slammed it shut, sliding down as she released a sigh.

---

Ben was sitting at his desk, nearly finished with his report, when he felt his left hand twitch all of a sudden. It was the same hand that the Omnitrix was attached to at the wrist, so he took great care to look over it. For some reason he felt like he needed to hold something, like he was needed somewhere. It was beginning to interfere with his schoolwork, so he stood up and walked towards his window. He took deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

He decided to distract himself by looking out the window, soon seeing the same house he and Jade passed on the way to his home. Remembering what his mother said about some things needing a second look, as well as a need to not focus on his hand, he looked over the building again. It was exactly like his house in structure, only it was green in color. He continued to look it over, humming as his expression softened. He began to notice how the trimming actually complemented the overall paint job of the building.

"...I guess it is a nice house. If I wanted to live close to home I could see being there." He tilted his head as confusion began to set in. "I thought it was red earlier… and Mom thought it was burgundy. What's up with…?"

Ben suddenly felt his entire arm go numb, the rest of his body beginning to twitch like his hand was earlier. He could only silently scream as he fell to the floor, clutching the Omnitrix with his right hand. Carl, having heard the fall, nearly rammed down the door to the room as he rushed in.

"Ben!?" cried the man. He soon noticed his son on the floor, the boy's jittering form disturbing him. "Son, speak to me!" He got down on his knees as he leaned the boy's body against him. The Omnitrix began to blare alarms as the faceplate spun, the hourglass symbol turning blue.

"Warning!" cried the device in a monotone version of Ben's voice. "Alpha level threat detected. Protocol Warden engaged. Omnitrix Mandatory Update in process. Please standby."

Carl growled at the device, moving his son's hand as he messed with the band. The core suddenly popped up, an energy pulse sending the man sliding back a bit before the device did an outer scan of its wielder. "Host Amalgamation: Twenty Five percent. Protocol Warden: Fully Authorized. Increase update speed tenfold." The core popped up and down multiple times, continuing to spin as green energy began to spin around the band of the device.

The Omnitrix core finally stopped spinning as one more alarm rang out. "Update complete. Threat level Alpha: Verified. Notifying Administrator. Emergency Hardware Update: Engaged." The core slammed down harder than Ben had ever smacked it before, causing his arm to pop up a bit before the device erupted in a lime green glow.

Carl could only cover his eyes as the light actually covered the entire room. It was so bright that beams of light were visible from the window, spooking Mr. Baumann as he was about to enter his car. The man put away his keys as he groaned.

"Nope!" cried the man. "I am not dealing with the Tennysons today! I'm calling in sick." He walked back into his house, locking the door behind him. As he did this, the light began to die down.

Carl removed his arm from his face, happy that the light was finally dissipating. The room was undamaged by the light, some broken objects in the area either repaired or improved while the furniture actually looked refurbished. The thought of his son caused him to quickly shake his head.

"Ben! Are you alright!?" He heard his son groan as he turned to where the boy was, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Ben?" The boy sat up, groaning as he rolled his shoulders.

"I'm alright," groaned Ben. "In fact… I feel great." He quickly stood up, a ripping sound catching his attention. He gulped as he stood straight. "...Please tell me that wasn't my underwear."

The boy quickly looked over himself, trying to understand what was going on. He sighed in relief as he saw the tear was in the front of his shirt. "Oh thank gosh it's just the shirt! I still need to do laundry so if I lost this pair I'd be in trouble. I…" His father sighed as he stood up, rubbing his temples.

"Son," groaned the man. "I think laundry is the least of our concerns right now?" Ben turned to face his father, a confused frown on his face.

"What? What's the big… Did you get a bit shorter?" He then looked towards his bed, his eyes narrowing further in concern. "Why is my bed smaller?" The boy suddenly began to piece things together as he looked around.

Everything in his room seemed to be a bit smaller, the ceiling also looking a bit lower. He scratched at his head with his right arm, only to stop as he looked towards it. "Is my arm longer or…? Oh no." He pushed past his father as he ran for the bathroom, his eyes widening in realization.

He burst into the room, immediately looking over himself. He had gained a literally sudden growth spurt, standing a few good inches taller than before. His frame also looked a bit wider, though it was hard to notice at first. He pulled his shirt off his torso, finding that a lot of the baby fat he had before was now gone. He rubbed over the area with his right arm, surprised when his stomach didn't squish like it used to.

He tilted his head as he thought of something, slowly grabbing his underwear and pants as he pulled them forward. He yelped as he looked up, letting go of the fabric as it snapped back into place. "What the heck happened to me? I have so much energy and grew more after the Omnitrix…" His eyes grew wider than they had before, another physical change he took note of.

He slowly brought his left arm into view, looking over the device that did this to him. It now resembled a streamlined gauntlet, green tubes carrying an energy of some kind running from one spot to another. The gauntlet was mainly green, some silver on the underside. A large faceplate rested near his elbow, alongside some kind of lime green scanner encased in a silver colored casing. A charcoal gray glove wrapped around his hand, the material surprisingly comfortable.

The actual core of the Omnitrix was now moved up to the back of his hand, seeming much smaller than before. A small green button for activating the Omnitrix sat to the side of the core. A surprising change the boy noticed was a golden ring of ancient Chinese characters that encircled the core, shining with power. The overall design looked like a futuristic version of an ancient Chinese soldier gauntlet, taking on a heavily Galvan design. The energy flowed through the tubes as the core glowed green.

Ben blinked multiple times before waving his arm around. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH MY ARM DRESSED FOR WAR!?" Carl walked to the room with a sigh.

"You just noticed the literal gauntlet on your… HOLY COW!" Ben looked towards his father, watching as the man pulled at his own hair. "Your mother's gonna kill me! Forget sleeping on the couch! I'll be sleeping outside for this!" The boy growled as if prepared to start an argument, only for the Omnitrix to release a very different jingle from before.

"Host promoted to Guardian Inquisitor," informed the device. "Voice Recognition: Authorized. DNA Scanner: Enabled. Warden Mode: Enabled. Camouflage Mode: Enabled. Queuing ten new DNA entries to Omnitrix active roster. Administrator defined voice codes authorized for species acquisition." Ben tilted his head, confused by the number of features.

"Voice command?" questioned the boy. "Warden Mode? I thought I had this thing figured out! At least I can make the Omnitrix Camouflage so that I can be stealthy at school." The device beeped in response to his words, making him jerk a bit.

"Voice key authorized. Initiating camouflage." The faceplate turned again as the materials of the gauntlet suddenly changed to have a similar pattern to Upgrade. The device then began to merge into Ben's skin, shocking him as it created green line patterns along the surface. Eventually the Omnitrix disappeared, the only clue it was there being a faded tattoo on the back of its user's hand. Ben looked between his father and the area where the device used to be, his father counting on his fingers until the boy screamed.

"One. Can't there just be one normal day in my own house?" The continued screaming of Carl's son told him that the answer was no. He sighed in disappointment as he shook his head. "I guess not."

---

And that's all for this chapter! Ben and Jade have some time to bond as they navigate their growing feelings for each other, Gwen taking a moment to obtain some favors. Jackie was able to obtain the Rat Talisman by himself, defeating the Dark Hand and obtaining a little tag along. Ben then learns to appreciate the little things in life, as well as gaining a love for Jade's passion towards gymnastics. The girl herself gets some helpful familial advice, unaware that her crush has undergone the biggest physical change of his life.

What has happened to Ben? Will he ever be the same? How long will his father be sleeping on the couch? Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to get back with you ASAP. This is Inkaliber, signing out.