After thinking about it for several minutes as Jen deals with Wren, you figure out your plan of attack. When Wren gives Jen a break, leaving the bedroom to use the bathroom, you immediately jump out of the faceplate to inform Jen of the plan.
"Alright, Jen. I've put some thought into this and…"
Your visual interface turns to static as a worm goes through it.
Jen giggles. "That's my revenge for you leaving to handle the worm alone."
You smirk. "Jen? You do know I can't feel it, right?"
Jen's bravado leaves him in an instant.
"Then I'm holding onto this thing…."
"For nothing? Seems so."
With a groan, Jen quickly throws the small creature out of the window, wiping his hand on his jacket as if that would help. "Aw, man! This is gross."
"Now that you're done embarrassing yourself, let's get down to business."
"Fine," Jen relents, his shoulders sagging. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm still incredibly hesitant about letting you go out on nightly patrols unprepared," you admit. "No matter how strong the Ultimatrix is, I'm uncomfortable sending a kid out, especially when you'd be the only alien in town."
"But -"
"But nothing, Jen. You need this time to focus on yourself," you put your foot down. "You can still be a hero, but I want to ensure that you can protect yourself if something ever happens to me or the watch. As you are, you're completely helpless—even more so than Prime Ben was when he started as a hero. And next to none of his villains ever used guns ."
"Whatever," Jen rolls his eyes. "Then what do you have in mind, Mom ."
"Cut the crap, Missy. You're going to listen."
"I'm not a girl."
"And I'm not your Mom. Sandra is. At least listen to my suggestion before writing me off."
"Be free."
"We gotta take care of those self-defense issues," you begin after taking a breather to calm down. "We'll ask your parents to enroll you in the same martial arts classes as Gwen. I highly doubt they'll say no to that, and the skills you learn there can apply to combat as other alien species, too."
You seem to be changing Jen's mind slightly. "I… could do that."
"But knowing how to fight is only half the battle. The other half is movement. The Ultimatrix might give you the instinct to use your body properly, but you need more than that. Adapting perfectly to changing forms on the fly is essential if you want me to unlock Master Control."
"Master control relies on body control, got it," Jen nods. "That makes sense to me…"
"You must tell your parents you're also interested in gymnastics."
"Are you serious? That's for girls!"
"This isn't about gymnastics being feminine. It's about it being practical, Jen. If you participate in both programs and get some practice, I'd happily let you go on patrols."
"You mean that?"
"It'll take more than a few sessions, but I believe in you, Jen. You just have to become nearly as dangerous in your human form as any alien form… not that being a human could compare once you apply those skills. But it's growth in a safe environment."
"Okay, fair," Jen accepts. "You made your point. I'm doing martial arts and gymnastics to improve my strength and dexterity. But that's not being a hero!"
"Remember what I said earlier about community service being a way to be a hero as well."
Jen gasps in realization. "You want me to do some form of volunteer civilian hero work while properly preparing my body for hero work?"
"Now you get it," you nod. "Specifically looking at the animal shelter. If you loved dogs enough, you wanted to be one…."
"Please don't remind me."
"Ruff ruff."
"Seriously, Trixie."
"I'm never going to let you live that down," you snark. "You #####."
"Don't try me."
"I don't know the meaning of surrender."
Jen is not amused. In fact, he looks murderous. At least as bloodthirsty as a child could possibly appear to be.
"But I'm willing to learn," you say, backing off. You realize this was probably not the best approach to dealing with Jen's myriad of issues, especially getting him to agree with you.
He sighs. "Anything else?" Jen asks, exhausted.
"You need to have a little time to yourself and just be a kid, so maybe you and your friends could plan a few sleepovers."
"I don't have friends."
"Gwen and Emily?"
"Emily is more Gwen's friend than mine. But… I guess if I make some friends, getting to know that wouldn't be, uh, a bad idea."
"See? My ideas are amazing."
"Honestly, you weren't exactly persuasive," Jen groans. "But you've made your point. I really can't dispute your idea. And it does sound fun. I just wish…."
"You had more time to do what you wanted?"
"Yeah," Jen agrees.
"Narrowing the list down was difficult, but doing anything more would cause you unnecessary stress."
He sighs once again in acceptance. "Don't worry, I get it," Jen clarifies. "You probably have done the math and the simulations thousands and thousands of times. If this is the 'optimal choice,' then I don't have a reason not to trust you, Trixie."
Despite the air quotes, you know Jen doesn't mean anything by it. He's being genuine.
"Thanks for listening, Jen," you smile. "Anyway, we can discuss the details over the next few days. It's more important for you to settle into your new life."
"Also… I'm sorry for calling you 'Mom' earlier. You did consider my feelings when building my schedule, and while it wasn't exactly what I wanted, I can't deny it's a good one. So… don't give up on me, okay?"
Jen begins sniffling. You can tell the idea of you not being here, despite your back-and-forth, terrifies him, especially being stuck as he is after all you've been through together. You'll never fully understand those scars, but that doesn't mean you can't sympathize with him.
Hey, doofus. I'll always be here.
"Then, I should, uh, probably get ready for dinner," he says as he composes himself once again.
"Right," you realize. "Give me a second."
The Ultimatrix glows a bright neon green before disguising itself as a 'normal' wristwatch, even though it still has the same style and pattern as Azmuth's creations. It is a bright green neon color with details in black, and… most importantly, it can tell the time.
"You can do that?" Jen questions.
I'm not a watch. I mean, I take the form of anything. That's why the faceplate becomes an organic part of your body when you transform. Using the watch's features with the user interface hidden away will be challenging, but it's not like you'll need it for the foreseeable future.
"I see."
Now… have fun, kid.
With those words, Jen takes a deep breath before truly beginning his second chance at childhood.
Day One
"Daaaaaaad!"
"What is it, sweetie?" Carl asks, exhausted after getting back from work. He puts down the tools to focus all his attention on his kid.
"Where does Gwen go after school?"Jen asks, initiating his plan.
"Well, your cousin does Judo classes after school. I thought she told you that already?" Jen's dad inquires.
"Nope, I didn't know that," Jen feigns innocence before pretending to get an idea. "Oh! Dad! Can I do classes with her?"
"Uhhh…"
"Pleaaaaaaase!"
And here it is.
The ultimate weapon against parents.
The puppy dog eyes! They're as shiny as the legends said them to be! My eyes! They burn!
You don't even have eyes; now shut!
"Weeeeeell, i-if y-your mom agrees…."
And he's hooked!
"Thanks, Daddy! I'll go ask Mom!" And Jen goes out of the garage, bouncing on his way out.
Part one is complete! Just like beating a stage in Sumo Slammers!
I don't remember the part where the guy with 130 kilograms convinced his dad with puppy eyes to let him clear the level.
A victory is a victory.
Whatever helps you sleep.
As your mental banter concludes, Jen arrives at the TV room. His mother, Sandra, is exercising, copying the video's motions. You'd guess she's a yoga practitioner from the look of her outfit.
"Mooooom!"
"One second, Serenity! I'm almost done!" She looks at your user's face. Jen's expression is neutral, hiding his insulted frown from waiting and being called the wrong name.
"It's Jen," he states, unable to hide his annoyance.
"Oh, sh-ooot! I'm sorry, darling! One second." Sandra gets up and turns the TV to mute. "Okay, done. What is it, Jenny?"
Jen decides it's best just to rip off the band-aid."
"Dad said I could do Judo classes with Gwen!"
"Oh yeah? He said it?" His mom looks murderous on the spot. You can feel it through your body, even if technically you don't have one. It's very similar to the look that Jen gave you upstairs.
I see the resemblance now.
"Aham!" Jen corrects himself. "Dad said I needed you to agree with him first, though!"
"I'll talk with him later."
Uh, oh. Someone's going to sleep on the couch tonight.
"But, darling, you're sure you want to do karate? You know what happens in these classes, right?" Sandra kneels to Jen's level. "Boys and girls are there to learn… how to defend themselves, you know?"
"That's exactly what I want. To kick some butt with Gwen."
"...kick some butt?"
You need to be more feminine! You are doing too much of a heel turn too fast, and she's catching on to us!
"Uh… I mean, I… like, could defend myself and hang out with Gwen more?"
Sandra looks directly at Jen's eyes, looking for something, probably the truth.
"Mom, I don't want to be alone again on my winter break. Ben has Little League practice, Wren has the Girl Scouts, and I have… my books? If I could at least, I don't know, hang out with other kids my age… maybe I wouldn't feel alone."
Ouch… that was harsh.
It's not that I don't believe it.
"Darling," Sandra breathes, clearly feeling the pain in Jen's voice. "Okay."
"Wait, really?!" Jen says with stars in his eyes!
"IF! And only if Gwen brings you back home safely."
"But I can take care of myself," Jen protests, the stars in his eyes turning into black holes, sucking away all light.
"Yes, missy," Sandra says, already irritated. "Don't even start. Gwen's been doing Judo for over a year and is a great influence. I know you can be just as capable, but I would feel safer if you both could walk together on your way and back."
"Don't call me 'missy,' Mom!"
So it's okay when I say it?
It's just weird to hear it.
"Well, you're my little girl, no matter what," Sandra responds without a care in the world, causing Jen to groan.
How am I supposed to explain this?
Worry about that later.
Fine.
"Okay, that's not a bad compromise," he grumbles, accepting his mom's terms.
"And Jenny?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"I know you and Gwen are close, but you don't have to pick martial arts just because Gwen did. If you want to do something else….."
This is your chance.
"Well," Jen rubs the back of her head. "I was also thinking about… doing gymnastics."
"Huh?"
"I me-mean, you do something similar, right?" Jen points to the TV.
That's the worst excuse I've ever heard.
"I wouldn't say yoga and gymnastics are the same thing, but…."
Sandra taps her chin.
"Sure. If that's really what you want. You've never asked for much from us before."
Well, it worked.
"Thank you, Mom."
Sandra pats Jen on the head. "We'll talk about this more later. For now, let Mommy get back to her workout, okay?"
"I thought that you were already done with it."
"I'm always available if you or your siblings ask! Just don't ask too much, okay? It's a little distracting."
Ending the conversation, Sandra turns the TV back on, resuming her exercise routine.
Well, that was easy.
It's only the first step, though.
Yeah, I guess it is, dweeb.
Day Four
THIS IS HELL!
Oh, don't be like that, it isn't THAT hard.
YOU LITERALLY DON'T HAVE A BODY TO KNOW HOW HARD THIS IS!
No need to rub it on my face!
You answer him in his mind because your user is being a pushover in gymnastics class.
Luckily, some children's gymnastics courses were on the block close to your house, even on a winter break. Add that with Gwen bringing Jen home… your plan is almost flawless.
"My… my leg!" Jen whines after scraping her knee because she lost her balance. "It burns!"
If only Jen would be that appreciative.
"Need some help?" a new voice chirps outside your view, but both of you recognize it.
When Jen turns his head, you see a girl about Jen's age, maybe a year or two older. She's blond with long and well-cared hair, which she wears in a ponytail for practicality. She's wearing a tank top, leggings, and sneakers, yet the colors work very well together. Unlike Jen, who's wearing his casual clothes, including the skirt, which said blonde previously called him out on for his… lack of foresight… on wearing that in a gymnastics class.
I FORGOT I WAS WEARING IT!
Less mind reading, more paying attention to the girl who knows how to work out correctly!
"Uh, it was Jennifer, wasn't it?" the blonde asks your user.
"Oh! Yeah, it is! But you can use Jen. Only my parents use Jennifer; even then, using Jen is easier."
The older blonde offers Jen a hand, bringing your user to his feet.
"Small world then! My name is Jennifer as well!" And she retributes the handshake. "But I didn't think of a nickname before…"
"Wait, really?! That's so cool! We have the same name!"
"I know, right?"
Kids sure be kids.
"Shut up."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Jennifer, the blond one, asks, confused.
"Nothing! I said it's cool to have the same name… but this will get confusing quickly." Jen says before scratching his chin. "Okay! We need a nickname for you!"
"Well, you don't need to do that for me. I'm sure we can deal with it."
"Eh, no. I already lived my life being confused for my siblings. A tip for you: it's not that cool being a triplet. Also, I'm great with nicknames! I'm sure I can develop a good one for you!"
"You're a triplet?! You're double cool!" The blond says with a smile. "Okay, so. My name is Jennifer Nocturne, and my surname is another name for nighttime!"
"Hm. Nocturne… Well, my surname is Tennyson, and most of the time, they use Ten for me… Hmm…"
"Take your time, other Jen! Hehe."
"Hey! If someone's using Jen, it's me! It's my trademark!" He affirms his position. "I got it! Noct! Just like me, Jen Ten, you could use Noct as a nickname!"
Serious? That's just some lazy nickname. She's not going to like….
"I love it!" Noct says in pure joy.
…congratulations, you found someone with worse taste than you, Jen.
Thank you. I'll see that as praise.
"Well, Noct, can… you help me? I… my leg isn't working."
"Oh, shoot! Sorry, I forgot about that!"
I'm already regretting my life choices.
Day Eleven
"We could still get out and kick some butt, you know?" he says more to himself than to convince you.
"What's wrong, Tennyson? Chicken?"
"...what did you call me, Trixie?"
"Chicken, Tennyson!"
"Nobody calls me…"
Jen opens the door to the animal shelter, but the reception could be better, primarily because of the avian that has gotten in Jen's face.
"CHICKEN! GET IT OFF ME!" He struggles with the now-recognizable Cockatoo. You think about scanning it, but someone else gets on the scene before you can.
"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
The new kid ran into Jen's help, closing the door right behind him and immediately taking the cockatoo out of his face.
"Go! Back! To your cage!"
And the new kid, who you can see is an Asian girl, finally closes the bird cage and blows some air in relief. She's… a weird mix of introvert and extrovert. She's wearing bright colors, mostly pink and white, in a hoodie with cartoon cat eyes and fake ears at the top of some character you don't recognize. She has four purple markings on her face that resemble whiskers; you're unsure if they're birthmarks, makeup, or tattoos… Do human children get tattoos? Anyway, they're hidden slightly under a pair of purple folk glasses.
Her hair is covered by the hoodie, giving even more cat vibes from the girl. But she doesn't look at Jen's face in shame, giving more introverted vibes… like a cat.
Weird.
"I'm so, so sorry for that. I didn't want to do that, and I didn't even know someone would be here! They said that no one would be here, so I'm all by myself, and this is a new thing, and I don't know if I can do this, but I already messed up andyoualmostlostyoureyesand…"
She's having a stroke, Jen! Do something!
"Don't worry, dude! I'm fine! No eyes lost, see?" He points at his face, which doesn't even have scratches, thanks to the benefit of the Ultrimatrix's extreme healing factor.
Talk about health care.
"And it's me who should apologize, I didn't warn no one that we… Not we! I! That I would arrive so soon."
"Wait, you're the girl who asked if there are any volunteer vacancies?"
"Right in the hole. Kinda." He cleans the feathers still on his face. "My name's Jen, and they probably didn't think I would maintain the promise. After all, who would think that an eight-year-old would volunteer himself?"
"..."
Jen? She's basically the same height as you. I doubt she's that much older than you. Heck, you might even be the same age.
Huh. I'm so used to being two feet taller that I didn't think about that.
You've been seven for two weeks! How are you still confused?!
The catgirl seems confused but shakes her head and speaks again. "Well, any help… helps. Gosh, that was so bad. Anyway! I won't turn away some help for the shelter! We have lots of animals who need help! Especially the poor kittens!"
"Right, so. I didn't catch your name?"
"Oh! Sorry! I rambled so much that it kind of got away from my brain! It's a bad habit of mine, but I'm sure I can overcome it someday, probably."
The girl gasps, realizing something, and shamefully closes her hoodie on her face. "I just rambled again…"
"Hehe! No worries, dude, I do it all the time. Well, in my mind, but the thought counts, right?"
And the fact that I have a living AI in my mind, but who's counting?
I am. Call me artificial again, and I'll turn you back into the worst alien I can think of right now, preferably one that can't breathe on land.
What? I didn't tell any lies!
Not my problem!
"Mh mhme ish…"
She murmurs on the hoodie.
"What?"
She opens the hoodie a bit so you can see her face again. "My name is Nancy."
Jen opens a big smile at the information. "Nice to meet you, partner. I hope we can be good friends!" He extends his hand to the now-named Nancy.
"Yeah… same." And she shakes his hand. "So… can I show you the cats now?"
"I think I'd prefer working with dogs."
Nancy frowns, not in anger but disappointment. "So you're a dog person?"
"I-I'm just more familiar with them," Jen defends himself. "You know, I have one at home. And I'm pretty sure my sister has been one in her past life."
"Yeah, I know the feeling. People from school say the same about me. Dad even taught me that 'reincarnation' word," Nancy notes. "But I don't think they mean it as a good thing."
"Well, it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Animals are awesome."
"You think so?" Nancy wonders. "Wait, you're here. Of course, you do."
Jen looks around.
"So, where are all of the adults?"
"It's just us today."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
Nancy shakes her head. "We're really understaffed. Bellwood can't even afford to keep an employee here 24/7, and the acting caretaker is out of town for the weekend for a funeral. If it wasn't for volunteers like us and donations, the shelter would probably have to put a lot of these animals down."
"That's horrible," Jen pouts. "Just tell me what you need. Just… keep me away from the chickens."
Nancy giggles. "Will do, Jen-chan."
"Jen-chan?"
"Like anime?" Nancy blushes. "You know, just forget it. Come on."
Seeing your work is done, you sit back and watch as Nancy shows Jen the ropes.
At least now, Jen sees the importance of his work, which should pacify him. It'll be a while before I can let him have some hero time, but I promise it'll be worth it.
Because this is a real childhood.
Day Seventeen
Now you're happy?
You watch as Jen spars with a random kid from the neighborhood. Both have White Belts because the teacher wants sparring and not a massacre. But when one of them has a piece of tech that evolves their user to the ace of their species and has previously been in multiple life-or-death fights…
Honestly? Not really.
Jen makes a mental smirk as he causes the kid to fall on his back. You can feel his frustration because even though he doesn't have much experience fighting, with or without aliens, you were fighting for survivorship less than a month ago. Comparing that to literally tricking toddlers.
It's just not the same. Even you think that.
" Mate ! Thank you, Jennifer, for demonstrating the Osotogari."
Everyone turns to the instructor, who everyone refers to as 'Sensei.'
" Ritsurei ."
Both Jen and the random kid salute the other. Then, both sit down on their knees, Jen beside Gwen.
"Psst," Gwen calls to Jen.
"What?"
"How!?" she whispers to make sure just Jen listens.
"How… what?"
"Jen, I just don't have a Green Belt because Sensei told me I'm still 'too young' for that, and you're acing the White Belt in just over two weeks!" Gwen's hushed words are nearly a yell, but she covers her mouth with her hand when Sensei walks past both of you, still explaining to other kids. "I know you never fought Judo, so what's your secret?"
"I don't know, maybe I'm just this good," your user shrugs.
"This isn't just 'being good.' You can get a Gray Belt even before your birthday!"
"Shhhh!" The other student by your side shuts you two up.
"Sorry!" Gwen apologizes. "But this isn't normal, Jen! You're like… a prodigy or something. Like, I don't know, a judo practitioner trying to pick up another form after they've already earned a black belt."
"I'm no prodigy. It's just… my opponents are too slow."
I hate lying, but it's not like she would believe me. 'Ehm, actually, I'm not really eight. I'm actually a teenager who fought other versions of himself. Also, if that isn't clear already, I'm a boy."
Also, you could listen to your cousin.
Crap!
"Okay, miss I'm-too-fast."
"Don't use 'miss,' please," you see Jen rolling his eyes. "It's not like I'm too special anyway."
"That's not what your grades say." And then Gwen sighs. "Seriously, you were already good in school, and now you want to go where I do Judo out of nowhere. What next? Are you going to paint your hair red? Do you want to live under my bed?"
"Pff, I don't like you THAT much." Jen waves Gwen's worries. "I just wanted to try what you do for myself. And I must say, you're awesome. If I'm a prodigy, you're an anomaly for sensei to personally bar you from upgrading the belt for being 'too young.'"
"What!?" And Gwen's voice cracks for a second. "I mean, yeaaah. I know I'm awesome…"
And the two humans enter a comfortable silence. Based on the memories implanted in Jen's mind, merely enjoying each other's company seems to have become the norm, contrasting Gwen and Ben's rivalry as kids. That's just how they are. Gwen is a diligent, studious girl, but she doesn't care much about social conventions if doing martial arts since her seventh birthday is anything to go by. And now that you think, Jen was just like that, just far more shy and childish, looking up to Gwen but only able to match her in academics.
Part of why the 'old' Jen looked towards Wren and Ben was that they were just that free-spirited. Jen's the 'girlie' girl of the family, so everyone must look after him. Even though Wren is the younger… by 3 minutes—but younger nonetheless.
When thinking about old Jen's mannerisms, Gwen cleans her throat, calling Jen's attention.
"What's up?"
"Thanks."
"For what?"
What do you think, doofus? You praised a girl that no one really praised.
I'm pretty sure that her parents praise her well enough. It's why she has that humongous ego of hers.
Maybe in the future. But now, Gwen's an eight-year-old girl who has just two friends. And one of them is you. TL;DR, she's alone, dumb###.
"Nothing," Gwen interrupts your conversation.
"..."
Your user is thinking about saying something more until….
"You're welcome."
And then Gwen visibly relaxes. Her smile is more… genuine. Because of that, Jen smiles as well. Both humans are happy to listen to their sensei in that comfortable silence. It's nice.
I know, right?
Day Nineteen
"Hey, Jen." Someone says your user's name from behind the counter.
"'Sup?'" Jen says, referring to his extensive vocabulary. "What's the problem?"
"Okay, please answer it honestly… are we friends?" You look behind yourself toward the voice and see Nancy holding one of the kittens.
"Of course we are," Jen smiles. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"I don't have many friends… or rather, any friends," Nancy admits. "Like, most people at school just treat me like I don't exist. It's not like they hate me, but even that would be better than outright ignoring me! I tried talking with this girl at this project; she looked like I had a cold! I even tried to make a cat pun, but there was nothing! She was so nyannoying!"
And before Nancy continues rambling, Jen speaks up. "Did you really try to befriend someone over a cat pun?"
"What's wrong with cat puns? They're purrfectly fine!"
"Only that, if you don't know your audience, it might draw a ruff crowd."
"How are dog puns any better?!"
"They're not; they're pawful."
…
"I don't wanna be your friend anymore," Nancy decides.
"Are you… pawsitively sure about that?"
"Yeah," Nancy mumbles. "I don't."
With a slight smirk, Nancy walks to the back of the facility to clean out the litter boxes.
"Wait," Jen blinks. "Nancy, I'm sorry! Get back here, please!"
Kids. You gotta love 'em; you gotta hate 'em.
As Jen catches up to Nancy, she puts a hand on the catgirl's shoulder. "I'll prove to you how good a friend I am!" Jen declares.
"Still not your friend!"
"I-I'm having some friends come for a sleepover. It'll be me, my cousin Gwen, and my friend from gymnastics, Noct. My siblings will be there too, but I doubt they'll bother us much. Ben's convinced all girls have cooties. And Wren…."
"Really? You want me to come over?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'd be happy to come," Nancy says with the biggest and most astonished smile you ever saw. "Thanks, Jen. Would your parents be okay with it, though? I don't want them to be nyangry with you."
"It's fine," Jen dismisses. "They'll already have two extra mouths to feed. One more isn't a big deal. Be-besides… I want you there."
"Okay. Then… yeah. I'll come."
"Great!"
"We should probably wait until after we're done here before discussing plans. Mittens is really thirsty."
"Right," Jen nods. "You get the cat some water, I'll go back to tend the front desk."
"It's not like anyone ever comes in anyway," Nancy frowns. "Just go play with the animals. I spend a little too much time with the cats, but the others need attention, too."
"Sounds good to me." He says while going on his way.
Just checking with you. Snacks?
Mom is planning to prepare some homemade ones for everyone, and she said we could have a whole pizza just for us!
Nice. Noct confirmed?
Mm-hmm.
And Gwen agreed to it?
Only if I bring my books to look over our homework… again.
Booooring. Sleeping bags?
Everyone's bringing their own.
Party games?
Does Maria Party count?
I didn't mean video games. You don't even play those anymore.
They're fun, though. And Ben let me borrow it.
What's the catch?
There is no catch.
Jen….
He stuck a booger in my hair, and I promised not to tell Mom.
That little brat!
I know. I should have realized Ben would do something so yucky before he did it!
That isn't the point.
Don't worry, Trixie. I'm okay. I got some laughs, something to hold over him, and games! Can a dude get any better?
He stops. And he takes a look at his hands. You know what he's thinking.
Sorry. I… forget it.
Jen…
It's just. Things are passing like… always. I'm here, doing what? Partying? Acting as an eight-year-old for the fun of it? And the worst part is that when I see Ben… When I still see myself. Like a carnival mirror that it's you, but not you.
You don't have to think of yourself and Ben as the same person. With you in his life, he will inevitably become different from the boy you were. Remember what I told you. You can be both Ben and Jen. All of those parts are part of you.
I guess. It's just. I thought I would have overcome that. Geez, I'm such a crybaby.
It's okay to be weirded out; I would be weirded out if that was myself. But look at this: Haven't you gotten even closer to Gwen? You didn't like meeting Nancy? Or Noct?
I… I have.
You can see the smile on Wren's face. You gave Wren a new life, and she's happy. Do you regret doing this?
NO! Geez! No! I… ever since I got my memories back, Wren's the main reason I'm still smiling. At least I 'saved' someone.
Then, you shouldn't be living in the past. Jen, you're not playing anything. You have the memories of an eight-year-old and the body of one. Be one and enjoy the sleepover.
Okay, I get your point. Thanks for the pep talk.
Ever, especially when you're being an idiot.
Dweeb.
Doofus.
As Jen snaps out of his slump, which has become a fairly common occurrence these last few weeks, you're both distracted by the panicked clucking of a bird.
Heading back into the main room to see the problem, you find… Nancy… hissing at said bird.
"Nancy?" Jen questions.
The girl freezes on the spot. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a game."
Jen raises an eyebrow. "Alright, then. If you say so."
Later that night…
You two are both waiting for Jen's friends in the kitchen. He's already diving into the mixed snacks while you're just there, wishing to do something! This is plain boring!
"Ding dong!"
"It looks like your friends arrived, darling! Can you be a sweetie and welcome them?" Sandra says from the kitchen, where she prepares snacks for the whole party… and the ones Wren and Ben will inevitably get.
"Okay, Mom!" Jen speaks with a face full of… something extremely salty. He cleans the face with the back of his hoodie. With Wren's hair in a long ponytail and pants, Jen's skirt and hair in a style eerily similar to his mother's is inherently distinguishable. If someone had difficulties differentiating Wren and Jen, now that person would be #######.
He opens the door and sees Gwen, already prepared for the promised homework, judging the giant backpack on her. But if you guessed, there are many more than just books by the sound of muffled dice.
"Hey, cuz'! How are you?" Jen goes to a hug, and Gwen returns rather awkwardly. "Common! Enter already! We're just waiting for the others!"
"Wait, at the Christmas party, you said it would only be us!"
"No? I said I was going to have a party, and I wanted you to come."
Gwen seems somewhat off-guard by the implication that Jen even has someone to invite besides her. "But, but, but…."
Ruining, or rather, saving the conversation, the bell rings again to Gwen's rescue.
"Okay, that was quick! One second, I'll be right back." He runs back to the door while Gwen looks hesitantly at it from a comfortable distance. Jen opens it to see Nocturne trading her gymnastics outfit for something more casual.
"Hey, girl! Hope I didn't get here too late!"
Noct enters the Tennyson residence with her own set of clothes, snacks, and games. Judging by her outfit, she's the only one with a fashion sense; despite being just regular brands, they have a nice contrast and complement each other very well.
Oooooh, she has a fashion sense! Unlike you with your skirts.
Hey! Just because you don't know how to appreciate it doesn't mean I must be dragged down with you.
I hear some envy there, hmm?
What I'm hearing is Noct's voice.
Aw, man! This always happens! She's rubbing off on me.
"Jen? You there? Hellooo?" Noct waves her hand in front of you in confusion. "You kept staring at me for a while now."
"Oh, nothing! Please, come inside. I think you don't know my cuz' yet." He brings Noct closer to Gwen to make it easier for them to meet each other.
"Gwen, this is Noct. Noct, this is Gwen." He introduces them.
"Hi?" Gwen starts.
"Hi! Nice to meet you!" She shakes Gwen's hands in a handshake that's moving so fast you just see the brief movement of their skins. "It's been so long we've been speaking, but Jen never really said anything about a cousin!"
"Oh yeah? Never said anything ?" And she looks murderous.
Uh, oh. Someone's going to sleep on the couch tonight.
IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS! HOW?!
Ah, well, that part was quite simple. You see, I'm not an idiot.
Now, the actual reason?
I'm a living computer.
Ah.
And after the stare of a thousand deaths, Gwen looks back at Noct. "Well, it's not like you're an old friend; maybe it wasn't important."
"Oh! So, that's it, then?" Noct realizes the jab at her friendship with Jen and immediately turns hostile to Gwen. "Or maybe the subject wasn't that interesting."
"Oh, yeah?" And Gwen is this close to headbutting Noct, and she looks like she isn't going down without a fight! "Maybe it isn't the subject, but the person in question."
"Ding dong!"
THANK THE CONTUMELIAS.
Hey! That's my phrase!
"I'll get it! Please, sit, and don't fight in the living room. We can talk about this."
Jen goes immediately to the door, opening it to see the last invited person.
"Jen-chan!" Nancy gives a big smile. She's still in her usual outfit, carrying a backpack, but unlike the others, she only has the essentials. "I'm sorry about being late! It's just that Dad tried to ensure I had all my things, and he's usually right about me forgetting something. Not like that's a bad thing, but that I would probably lose my head if it wasn't stuck to my neck and…."
"No problem! There's no actual problem, dude. Common, enter! It's… rowdy in here."
Jen opens the door to make space for Nancy to pass by.
"Just don't get in the middle of them, please."
"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about your siblings!"
Nancy walks right by your side until she finally sees the scene occurring in front of everyone in the living room.
"Yeah. It's not my siblings."
"Oh yeah?! How about the fact that I don't see any real reason to be nice to you?"
That's Gwen's voice. It seems she's using her most common tool in human interaction: bluntness.
"Maybe because we just met each other?!" It looks like Noct is falling for it, based on Jen's old memories of his rivalry with old Gwen.
"I should be scared?" Nancy asks the logical question.
"Yes. I mean, maybe. I mean…."
Jen finally breaks into the discussion. "Hey! There will be no fights in my house! I already have enough drama with Ben and Wren!"
"Tell her to stop, then! She started it!" Noct points at Gwen in child-like behaviour.
"I did not!"
"Okay, before you start yelling at each other, let's get to know each other? Maybe some games will help!" And you see in both girl's faces that maaaaybe, a game isn't going to help that much. "Mom! We're getting upstairs!"
"Alright, Jenny! Girls, can someone get in here to take some snacks upstairs for everyone?" Sandra says while still trapped in the kitchen cooking snacks for six people.
"I'll do it!" Nancy excitedly says, attracting everyone's attention and making her blush in embarrassment. "I… want to help."
Nancy just puts the hoodie over her head to muffle any more sounds she may have said while rambling, and she heads into the kitchen.
You can still hear Jen's mom speaking. "I'll call everyone when the pizza arrives, so shoo shoo!"
"Y'all heard, Mom. Let's head upstairs," Jen says to everyone while ushering everyone to her room. But what he doesn't see is that storm in the form of two little girls' hate toward each other.
This is going to be a looong night.
"STOP STEALING MY STARS!"
Well, the video game is the worst idea Jen has ever had.
How would I know that Maria Party would bring this much chaos?!
…
I wish to rectify my previous statement.
"It's a competitive game! I HAVE to steal stars!" Gwen tries to defend herself while clearly abusing the game's rules to destroy everyone!
The scenario unfolding in front of you is as follows:
Gwen in first with 7 stars and 2 coins, doing everything to dump her coins on power-ups and traps to make hell on earth on Noct.
Jen is in second with 5 stars and 37 coins. He is doing his best to balance Gwen's actions and actually try to create a fun experience… at the cost of his fun and gameplay.
Nancy is third with 4 stars and 200 coins, scared of spending a single coin because of one bad experience with a Bowsette minigame, which caused her to lose 20 coins in the beginning.
Noct is last, with 1 star and 3 coins, fighting the battle of her life to keep that one star.
"Don't you dare, Gwendolyn! Don't you-!"
And that's the moment where Gwen walks onto a Boo space with a VERY calculated dice roll. And who's getting the Boo? Noct.
"I DON'T EVEN HAVE 50 COINS! DARN IT!"
"Language!" Nancy tries to rectify the sin that was Noct's bad word.
"Make me." And that was a bad choice, but at least Nancy started focusing more on the game, probably in fear of the blond girl.
"Look, how about we just play something else?"
"Can it be something with cats in it?" Nancy begs.
"I-I don't know," Jen admits. "I… I don't play video games anymore."
"You never played video games," Gwen corrects. "Well, except for when it's with other people."
"Oh… yeah. But I heard that the Sumo Slammers franchise is very good!"
EVERYONE looks at Jen like he grew a second head. Because of that, Nancy just walks outside of the room.
"Where are you going?" Jen asks.
"Bathroom. I need to see if this last moment was real."
She leaves in a dramatic scene.
Drama queen.
Noct didn't even bat an eye at her; instead, she looked at him in pure horror. "Girl, we need to help you ASAP."
"What?! I don't really need help." Jen dismisses everyone with a wave. "I just heard that it was good and Ben's favorite. I kind of wanted to try it. Just to, you know, get to know him better?"
It's mainly because it's one of my favorite Sumo Slammers and just happened to be released, but they don't need to know that.
"..."
No one says a word.
"Uhh, girls?"
"You're deeper than I thought."
And Noct looks like she is about to cry!
"Okay! Makeover time!"
"WHAT!?"
WHAT?!
Wha-wait. No, I'm completely okay with that.
TRAITOR!
"Alright, I think we don't really need that much; neither I nor Wren has any makeover… I think."
"It's called makeup," Noct clarifies. "Makeover includes the wardrobe."
Slowly but steadily, Jen rises up in a moment of fight or flight.
"But, in your case, I have a backup makeup case for reasons like that!"
Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, NO!
Jen, calm down! You don't need to panic over this.
OH, I NEED TO PANIC! GOT IT!
Luckily, you hear a knock on the door.
"Girls? The pizza is here, and the money is under the fruit basket!" Sandra's mom says in the nick of time to Jen's rescue.
"I'LL GET IT, MOM!" your user yells in response, already giving up on the fight and choosing to flee. "Well, looks like it's going to wait."
And he runs, closing the door behind himself in despair as if his life depended on it. Which it doesn't.
I KNOW THAT.
"What's wrong with you?" you can't help but say aloud. "You promised me that you would be open to trying new things. This was the first thing that Gwen and Noct agreed on all night, and you ran away like a coward."
"I draw the line at paint in my face. Makeovers are just girly and… and… stupid! I'm not ready for that type of stuff."
"Okay? But that didn't mean you had to flee. They'd have understood."
"Someone had to get the pizza, not that you'd understand that," Jen pouts.
"If you're referring to my inability to eat, thanks for reminding me. You won't bully me into not being a proper guardian. You're my charge, like it or not."
"You're supposed to snap at me! Also, you're not a proper guardian; you are younger than me! Kinda."
"Well, it pisses you off more when I don't. I win either way. Also, for I have a Millenia over you!"
"That doesn't matter. Again, I've been conscious for way longer than you. Hence, you're the baby between the two of us."
"Oh, so now it's that!? Keep pestering me, Tennyson. I'll turn you into a Graymatter. Or maybe a Wildmutt? Oh! Even better, maybe even an Atrocian? Did you know they are literally the Worst? Well, I do! And I'll make it my personal mission to get their DNA and turn you into them!"
"You're using turning into aliens as punishment? Why would I ever listen to you?"
"Uhh… good point."
"Excuse me?"
"WHAT!?" Both of you say at the exact moment.
Turning around, you see Nancy staring wide-eyed at you.
I heard you from the bathroom," Nancy said, pointing at the door right at her side.
"####"
"Language! And… what is that thing!?"
…
"I can explain," Jen speaks up.
"I wanna hear it," Nancy demands. "What's this about turning using DNA?"
…
"Again, maybe I can't explain it quickly enough."
Nancy, curious, tries touching you.
DNA CORRUPTION….
SCANNING IN PROCESS….
Nancy holds back a gasp as a wave of green light travels from her head to her toes. You are shocked by the report you receive from Omnitrix's A.I.
"Yeah," you speak up. "We definitely need to talk."
Luckily, you and Jen got Nancy to keep quiet about you throughout dinner and the rest of the party games. But as the night is winding down, Gwen and Noct are getting ready for bed. Nancy pulls you into the restroom, where you begin explaining what you are, leaving out most of the multiverse stuff, dumbing it down so that any kid could understand. Nancy follows along with focus; she is absolutely stunned and immersed.
And at the end of it, she only has one question.
"This DNA thing," Nancy begins. "You previously used it to turn into a wolf?"
"I - well, not recently, and it's extremely dangerous," Jen admits, a bit of pink on her face. "Why?"
"Does that mean you could scan a cat, and I could become one?"
"Technically, yes," you acknowledge. "It's the inverse of something that happened when we tested the watch's animal functions. But… why do you want this?"
"I… Do you… ever felt like you aren't… you?"
"Yes," Jen says without hesitation. "I…. I feel it everywhere. When I wake up, I look at myself in the mirror and… I don't see myself."
"Oh. I thought I was the only one." She rubs the back of her head, at a loss for words. "How. How is it to you?"
"Well, first of all, being a girl sucks."
"!"
"No offense to all of you, but everything is weird." Jen moves his hands in an attempt to explain his feelings. "Walking is weird, people saying 'Jenny' or 'Darling' or even the 'Princess' is weird! Bathing is weird! Going to the bathroom is weird! This… goddam hair and skirt are weird! The only moment I don't feel weird is when I'm alone, and I pick a fight with Trixie to make me feel better about myself. And sure, I don't really… I'm not uncomfortable with my body; it's more my identity I'm struggling with. I don't feel like a girl, but I don't feel like a boy either. I'm still… I'm really stumped, and I'm scared about pushing everyone away because I don't know anymore. Sorry to dump that on you all at once. I just need time to learn who I am. "
"Oh."
Nancy… obviously doesn't have the profound implications that Jen has, but she can agree with the sentiment and connect to him.
"I… I thought I was the only one."
"Yeah, you said it."
"S-sorry." She looks at her hands. "Can I show you something weird?"
"Like what? A watch that talks and meddles with DNA?"
"I don't know, but promise me. Promise me that you won't laugh."
"Why's that?"
"Promise me! Or I'll never be your friend ever again! And I'll never let you play with the kittens and, and, I'll never let you go home, and!"
"Whoa, whoa. Alright." Jen waves to make her stop rambling. "I promise on my hero name."
"Your what?"
"It's like a scout's promise, but way better." And he smirks.
"...okay." And you finally see.
Her eyes. At one moment, her eyes change. She closes her eyelids, and in the next moment, when she opens them again… They're like a cat's. Her irises are way bigger, splitting themselves and covering 80% of her eyes. They're a bright cyan in color, almost shining on both of your faces; they remind you of a layer of tapetum lucidum , like a cat's.
But that's just for a moment. Nancy immediately closes her eyelids again, and… her eyes are 'normal,' but what's really normal? You're not stupid. You've seen the reports. You know about her mutations. A lot more than probably anyone else in the whole universe.
People are hiding these, but why? You can't comprehend.
Why is a species that has so much potential to be more hiding its best qualities?
"Do you remember when I was hissing at that bird?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, sometimes, I can't control it. I think of myself as a cat, and my instincts cloud my mind a bit, especially when I get stressed or nervous. It's weirdly… comfortable — more than being… like this is."
She points at her whole body.
"But that's you."
"Exactly. That's why Dad taught me about 'reincarnation'. To try to make me feel better about myself… but I don't want to only try to feel myself. I want to feel complete! To meow to the moon when I want to! To eat raw fish, even tho it will cause me bad aches! To walk on four legs, even if it is SO DAMN HARD!"
Nancy huffs in frustration.
"I've done it before, or at least… I tried. But I've always felt like an imposter. It doesn't feel right. And I've put up with it until now, wishing that things could be different, that I could fit in. But… now we have that watch. You could make it a reality. You could make my body… my body."
"I… don't think I can," Jen says in shame. "I… We. We don't know how this will change you. My previous 'experiment' could have gone so wrong so quickly if I didn't have Trixie."
"I don't care," Nancy says. "Do… Do you know why I ramble?"
Jen just… shakes his head.
"It's because no one's batting an eye to me that if I don't make myself clear, they will just… move on. That I need to speak my mind, or I'll be… forgotten."
"..."
Okay, that's it.
Don't even think about it without me.
Well, then, what do you think, Trixie?
Well, there's a mutation in Nancy's DNA. The closest comparison I can draw is that she's like an Appoplexian-Human hybrid, or a Citrakayah hybrid, or… like… any feline humanoid species but not.
Dumb it up for me, please.
In other words, her DNA has mutated to the point that she's basically a cat with a human body and intelligence.
And is that bad?
No, not on its own. It's perfectly harmless. But the reason she's probably making this request is a sense of dysphoria. She's not… comfortable, I guess. It's kinda like what Pond was like before she turned into Wren and thought of herself primarily as human.
I want to save her, then.
Well, there's nothing to save her from. Her vitals are fine, and there don't seem to be any adverse effects. She's fine.
Nancy is my friend, Trixie. And she's passing what I'm passing as well! I would be crazy if I didn't give her the chance I don't have! I can't be a boy anymore because of the Celestialsapiens, but she can be a cat!
Her brainwaves are more like a cat's than a human's, I must admit. The backlash would be far less. Honestly, she might even have more intelligence than the average cat.
Then there's not a risk of doing this.
But! And there's a big BUT… thatswhatshesaid, ANYWAYS. She has a family. A human dad, at the very least.
We're not keeping her like that. When I turned into a wolf, we never intended for me to stay that way. It was a temporary experiment. She's not asking to be a cat forever. She just wants to try it. And she knows our secret now! What if she tells Wren? Can we afford to piss her off?
There's still some plausible deniability.
I don't want to lose my friendship with Nancy over this. You hear her, you can feel my feelings! You know how much that hurts her… us. Please consider it.
You sigh before turning on your external speakers. "If we're doing this, we won't bear any responsibility if something unforeseen happens to you."
"No!" Nancy immediately agreed.
"And this is only under our supervision on weekends or at the rescue. No wandering off, either."
"I promise."
See? We can trust her. Please, Trixie?
Decision Point: Will You Grant Nancy's Wish?
A - Yes, Turn Her Into A Cat Using the Omnitrix Sometimes
B - No, The Watch Is Too Dangerous