One of the last "breather" chapters before shit hits a massive fan.

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Despite being one of two aliens in Zeta Squad, Rook was pretty average. Here was a normal day in the life of our lovable blue buddy:

Wake up at 5 am, go for a morning jog, do some stretches, shower, make himself some coffee and breakfast to go, and leave for whatever duties he had that day. As for the rest of his day, Beacon took up 8 hours of Rook's schedule, and (thankfully) he was gifted with excellent memory, so studying wasn't an issue. He would occasionally review in the evening, but even then it was mainly to help the others if needed.

But going back to his schedule, it would go something like History, Mythology, Biology, a class about the technological advances during the time of the Huntsmen, Lunch, weapon maintenance, Cultural Reflection, a study hall, sparring, and then dinner. Rook was probably one of the hardest working and busiest members of the group. (Ben was on the end of that spectrum, if you were curious.)

But one had to ask: why was Rook so dedicated to his work? Yeah, he was a rookie, but even rookies didn't take their job this seriously. What was his driving force?

Easy.

Rook wanted to set an example for his family.

His family held him to high standards since he was the first born son, and therefore a leader. Being seen and not heard, his every action was a reflection of his father, who was the chief of their people. Rook eventually found solace in old texts and stories of Plumbers, ones that painted pictures of great heroes and leaders, ones that really spoke to him.

But was Rook's family all that supportive? No. Well, his siblings were- they just couldn't vocalize it well because Da forbade it. The only thing that kept Rook from being disowned was...well, the fact that Da was chief. People would gossip if Da got rid of his eldest son. So, to no one's surprise, Rook hid almost everything from his father. He never told Da anything about his aspirations and dreams, the people he dated, or anything else for that matter.

So, why was Rook so focused on family?

They were coming to Earth today. Was it today, actually? Rook turned over to see the time- 12:00 AM. He was one hour past his self imposed bed time. He hadn't seen his family since he joined the Plumbers. Had he been caught up in work, or had he ignored them entirely? Rook knew the answer, and he didn't like it.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Maybe if he ignored the sounds of Ben and Ruby having a fake lightsaber fight, he would go to sleep faster...

...nope, didn't help.

Rook remembered reading something in one of Sandra's old magazines, about how 'warm milk' would help one fall asleep faster. "Perhaps that remedy will be of assistance," he told himself, getting out of bed and walking into the hall. Ben and Ruby froze in their tracks as Rook walked past them.

"...shit, did we wake him?" Ruby whispered.

"You need not worry, Ruby," Rook replied as he walked to the kitchen area. "I am just having trouble sleeping. That is all."

"What, seriously?" Ben asked, getting a free shot in by whacking Ruby in the back. "Jeez, you must be really nervous about this family visit."

"Indeed I am," he admitted as he poured some milk into Kevin's Batman mug. "I fear that my family may not see me in a good light."

"Pffft, what?" Ben scoffed. "Dude, you're working with the best of the best. Why would they be against that?"

Rook gave Ben a look.

"...oooh." Ben realized that Rook's parents were just Gwen's parents. Only worse, somehow.

"Plus, they do not know about Lev...and that is something I am unwilling to unpack with them," Rook sighed.

"That's what he said," Lev said as he passed through the kitchen, carrying at least 50 Red Bulls.

"...what are you doing with all of those?" Ruby asked warily.

"Oh, well," he drawled. "Apparently a dude went temporarily colorblind after drinking a bunch of these...I bet Kevin $150 that he would do it. So wish us luck!" With that, Lev walked out of the room.

Rook blinked. "...oh, and that fact that you guys regularly do things like this." He set his mug in the microwave and warmed it up.

"Yeah, we...we really need to tone down our chaotic energies. I feel like we've gotten more feral ever since Min joined the team," Ben said, scratching the back of his head.

"You're the best of all of us, Rook," Ruby said sincerely. "You keep your ideals alive. We each have our individual lives that can be ignited so easily with things like danger and insecurities, and you're out here, calmly protecting the galaxy from whatever dangers it may throw at us. I think you're a model Plumber, if that makes sense."

Rook smiled as he pulled his mug out of the microwave. "Thank you, Ruby."

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." Ruby whipped around and whacked Ben in the face with her lightsaber. Ben stumbled back before scurrying away, Ruby chasing after him. "DIE, YOU COWARD!"

Rook just shook his head and drank his milk.

Maria watched Ben and Ruby spar. Ben (as Heatblast) threw a searing shot at Ruby, who quickly used her Semblance to go around the attack. She struck back with her scythe, slamming into his side. He quickly changed forms, this time to Goop. Ruby sliced through his vicious body before he quickly jumped on her, entangling her in a goopy hug.

"I got you surrounded," Ben taunted. "What are you gonna do?~"

Ruby smirked. "Simple." She pecked Ben on the cheek...and he literally melted off of her and onto the ground.

Maria rolled her eyes as Ben reverted back to human. Before either lovestruck teen could get sappy, she interjected with a loud cough. "Ah yes, the Vytal Festival, such a good time," Maria reminisced. "I remember breaking some guy's leg and NOT getting penalized for it. The rules these days are too soft! Bone breaking doesn't even bother us that much! Our aura can repair that wound in an hour, maybe!"

"...uh…" Ruby stared at her.

Maria turned to Ben." So, you can't use your transformations in battle, correct?"

"Yep," Ben drawled out.

"...you aren't going to survive a round."

He shrugged. "Eh, I think i can last longer than you'd think."

Maria rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

Ruby tried not to blush. "So!" she interjected. "What were you like in your youth, Maria?"

"...taller. I honestly have no idea how I shrunk. But yeah, I wielded a scythe just like yours, although mine was cooler." Maria preened.

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"Utilized gravity dust, so it could come back to me whenever I threw it, two blades-"

"...fuck," Ruby said softly, but with feeling.

Maria went on. "And I was quite the opponent, especially with my Semblance."

She blinked. "What's your Semblance?"

Maria stuck her hand out, and an apple from her tree fell into her palm. With a smug grin, she answered, "Incredible reflexes."

And then she threw the apple in Ben's face.

Ben, who was used to this sort of thing, snatched the apple out of the air and took a bite out of it.

"You little shit!" Maria exclaimed, trying to whack her with her cane. Ben, who was also used to this sort of thing, dodged and ran away, whooping like a Looney Tunes character.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Maria screeched after him.

"So, did you really go colorblind last night?" Ruby asked as she pulled some cookies out of the oven.

"Nope. Just got insanely hyper off of Red Bull." Kevin shrugged. "I ran around town a few times as Rush to burn it off."

Ruby nodded. "That's smart."

Lev grumbled into his tea. "I lost $150 over nothing."

"So, when's Rook supposed to be back?" Yang asked as she set up the table.

Ben set down his phone. "He said he just picked up his family from the station. The Plumbers had to give them ID masks and stuff."

"Not that it's any of my business, but why is Rook so stressed about this visit?" Blake asked as she got the napkins.

"Rook has a strained relationship with his parents, and it's only gotten worse thanks to his job," Ceres explained as she got out the stolen silverware. "Revonnah is in a more rural part of the galaxy. I think the only real advancement they've made in the last 100 years is a form of electricity via their usual crops. His parents are staunch traditionalists, wanting to preserve their land and heritage for the future. Rook's the eldest son, and therefore the person next to inherit the farm and his father's role as leader...but then he did the most rebellious thing ever and joined the Plumbers."

Kevin had to stop getting out glasses. "...so, you're telling me that Rook, Mr. By the Book himself, is the family rebel?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

He grinned. "Oh, that is fucking hilarious."

"What's hilarious?" Qrow Branwen said as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh hey, Ceres. Hey, Kevin. Hey, Kylie. Hey...Len."

"Did you seriously learn their names for that joke?" Ben asked incredulously.

"Yes," he said smugly. "So, what are you kids setting up for?"

Weiss took the time to answer. "Rook's parents are dropping by today, so we have to be...presentable."

Qrow blinked.

"...the blue alien guy," Blake said, an eyebrow raised.

"I knew that. Thank you."

"What even brings you over here?" Yang asked curiously. "Shouldn't you be doing Qrow stuff?"

"Just got back from "Qrow stuff", actually," he replied. "A professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results as soon as possible. Had to do some investigating around Vale. Crime rings and stuff."

Ben looked confused. "Why's that? Wasn't Roman, like, the leader of all crime rings in Vale?"

Ceres crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "We took him down pretty easily. Thought that'd scare the rest of them."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Uh, yeah!" Ruby said. "Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone."

"Funny, because I heard that Taiyang got kidnapped by the most basic trick in the book," he said flatly. "And plus, it wasn't much of a 'team' effort. Taiyang freed himself."

"Still, we helped take down Roman Torchwick!" Ben exclaimed. "He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since! That's basically a bounty mission!"

"Sure, you may be acting like Huntresses and...uh, whatever you guys are…" Qrow furrowed his brow. "It's something stupid...Mailers? Janitors? Eh, it's something along those lines."

"The word you're looking for is 'Plumbers,'" Kylie interjected.

"Thanks, kid."

"...you literally just said my name like a minute ago."

Qrow waved that away. "Listen, what I'm getting at is, you're acting like Plumbers and Huntresses, but you're not thinking like them. You really think a group of friends could end all crime in a Kingdom?"

Everyone turned and looked at one another.

Ruby shrugged. "Kinda."

Qrow shook his head. "I thought the same back then. I was wrong. Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team that graduated Beacon."

Kevin scoffed. "You weren't a part of mom's team."

Qrow shot Kevin a withering glare before he reached into his back pocket. It was a photo, aged and stained, but there were four familiar figures front and center - himself, Raven, Taiyang, and Summer. Yang's eyes widened, while Kevin looked away disdainfully.

(Ben took a good look at the woman with long black hair and furrowed his brow. Where had he-?)

"We were called Team STRQ," Qrow explained. "That's where I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day."

Min took one look at the photo and sneered. "Nice hair, loser."

Ruby giggled a bit. "What is that fashion sense, Qrow?"

"That beard didn't age well," Ben jeered.

"Hey, we looked good!" Qrow protested. "And I have a number of inappropriate stories to back that up!"

Ceres made a face. "Gross."

Qrow continued on. "During our time at Beacon, we proved to be exceptional, and as a result, we...got away with more than we should have. All of us were talented, and because of that we thought we could bulldoze our way through any problem. We were dumb kids."

"You were a dumb kid," Yang scoffed. "Dad's brought up that one test score: Milk."

Qrow sputtered. "Listen, it was fucking calculus. How the hell do you do calculus?"

Ceres shrugged. "Easily."

"I just use my powers to bullshit and it works," Min replied.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Did you just not study enough?"

Qrow glared at them. "Stop bragging. My point is- just remember that you've still got a long way to go. You gotta be realistic sometimes. Not everything is a fairy tale. But you gotta keep learning and growing. It'll all work out if you keep moving forward."

Qrow put the photo back in his pocket. "Anyways, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style."

"You literally came to us," Ben said flatly.

"Zip it, Floyd."

"That is not even remotely close to my name."

"Hope you kids kick ass at the tournament. See ya." And with that, Qrow left.

Kevin was the first to fill the silence. "...Yang, Ruby, your uncle is-"

"Weird?" Ruby piped up.

"Gross looking?" Yang said flatly.

"A douche?" Ben snapped.

"...I was gonna say something more positive, but that all works."

Soon enough, Rook and his family arrived. The first thing they did was remove their ID masks, because why would they keep them on? No one would have qualms about a bunch of aliens walking around this part of the school.

Rook's parents were oddly intimidating. Ben used the word oddly because, well, Rook was one of the friendliest and nicest people he'd ever met. His parents, however, had glares that could kill a man stone cold. The rest of the family? Bright eyed and naive, just like Rook. Whatever Rook's parents went through, they also made sure their children didn't endure the same thing.

Ben felt Da's gaze drill deep into his soul and shivered. "G-good to meet you, sir," he said shakily, offering his hand to shake.

Da looked down at the hand before walking away. Ben deflated as Ruby patted him on the back. "Hey, don't let that get you down," she told him. "Better to have your handshake rejected by a stern father than a fun one."

"...fair point."

"Do not let my father's stern nature deter your spirit," one of Rook's sisters said. Much like her brother, she had periwinkle blue fur, black markings on her face, and pointed ears. The middle of her face, her chest, and her stomach were white. She had black stripes on her shoulders, waist, lower legs, and lower arms. Her outfit was a bandage wrapping-like dress in dark brown. She wore a dark brown headband in her dark blue hair, light brown gloves, a light brown wrapping around her upper left arm, brown furry boots, and a black choker around her neck. "He is usually hard on...everyone."

"I kinda got the idea." Ben smiled awkwardly. "And you are?"

"My name is Rook Shar." The girl bowed. "Eldest sister of the Rook family."

"...wait, what?"

Shar straightened out and raised an eyebrow. "Did Blonko not tell you he had a sister?"

"No, we knew about that," Ruby reassured her. "Y-you guys do last name first?"

"...yes?"

"So we've just been last naming Rook this entire time?" Ben asked, flabbergasted.

"...it appears so."

"...Welp, that's not gonna help our image," he sighed.

Shar chuckled. "I never expected the real Ben Tennyson to be so...normal."

"Normal?" Ruby had to ask.

"Ben has these crazy radio shows in space, totally fictionalized," Kevin answered, inserting himself into the conversation. "I dunno why they're so popular."

"They tend to keep galaxy morale up," Shar explained. "For enlisting in the Plumbers."

"Ok, that part I did not know," Ben said, offended. "I'm gonna call my lawyer about being used as a tool for propaganda."

"I am not so sure...you do have some fans..." Shar giggled as she walked away. Ben scratched his head, and then felt someone staring at him from behind. He turned to see what looked to be a smaller, cuter Rook, wearing an outfit similar to Shar. His tail wagged eagerly as he stared up at Ben.

Young One's face lit up. "You are Ben 10!"

Ben had to stop himself from chuckling. "Yes I am."

"I am, like, your number one fan!" Young One gushed. "Though I thought you had white hair..."

Ben paused. "Oh, uh, I dyed it. Gotta keep the identity a secret, you know?"

Young One grinned. "Can I ask something of you? Can you turn into an alien?"

"Oh, yeah! Anything for a fan!" Ben grinned.

"Yes! Quick, change into the Codon Lord and summon your army of beasts!" he requested.

Ben stared blankly at him. He had no clue what this kid was talking about. "Oh, uh...I might've left him in my other Omnitrix," he lied. What the fuck was the Codon Lord?

Young One slapped his forehead. "Of course! He is your strongest alien, after all! Someone could use his powers against you!"

"Yes! That's the reason." Ben nodded. He made a mental note to ask Ceres about this later.

Young One then glanced over to the side and noticed Kevin and Ruby. He nearly exploded with excitement as he ran on over to them.

"AHH! The Red Terminator and the 11! I did not expect you two to be here either!" Young One squealed.

Ruby blinked. "Uhhh, yeah! We're here. All the time."

"You a fan?" Kevin joked.

"Of course I am! I enjoyed your arc especially, 11!" Young One smiled. "I did not expect you and Ben to be brothers!"

Kevin tried his best not to laugh. "What?"

"Do you not remember? One day, as Ben was out collecting water for his sick sister, the elder brother, Kevin, thanks to the influence of the overlord Vilgax, was driven to jealousy-fueled madness...and gave you a power in the form of a powerful parallel to Ben's Omnitrix. In your jealousy, you killed your foster mom and sister, and burnt the house to the ground! Ben would've given up...but that was when Red showed up and decided to train him to bring you to justice! I knew you two had a rivalry, but that twist was insane!"

The three of them shared a bewildered look, before shrugging.

"Yeah, well, it's all good," Kevin chuckled, as he wrapped his arm around Ben and Ruby. "We're all buddies now."

"I cannot wait to tell my friends my brother works with the Original 3!" Young One beamed as he went to tell his sisters.

"That plot is...something," Kylie commented, having eavesdropped. "Like, my god, I think it might be too complicated, even for us."

"I feel like I'm too badass in these shows," Ben joked. "Like, I know I took down Vilgax and stopped one, maybe two invasions, but I also nearly died eating a Reese's peanut butter cup because I wanted to know what it tasted like."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that! 5th grade was fun," Ruby sighed fondly.

"If I was there, I would have yelled at him for doing that," Ceres added. "...but honestly I would have done the same."

"Can I just say how cool my nickname is? Get fucked, 11." Ruby grinned.

"Hey, I killed two people and did arson. I will not hesitate," Kevin joked.

"And neither will I," Doppler chimed in.

"We know this, dude. You're our resident bastard," Kevin sighed.

"I am?" he gasped.

Min faked getting upset. "I thought I was, damn it!"

"The others are getting some attention, y'know." Kylie pointed her thumb over to Weiss, who was being fawned over by two of Rook's younger sisters (they thought she was a princess or something), and Young One, who was admiring Yang's robotic arm. "Dunno if the parents like that, though."

"Of course. They probably hate every one of us," Ceres stated. "Don't worry, my family would love all of you."

"...when will we meet your family?" Kylie asked.

"Someday." Ceres smiled as she walked away.

Eventually, the group sat down to eat. There was a good mix of human food and stuff only Archimedeans would like to eat, while the Rook family had exclusively brought Amber Ogia related foodstuff, which was probably the only thing they could stomach for now.

Ben was about to dig in when Blonko stopped him. "Father, allow me to lead the group in prayer."

Prayer? Ben thought, as did everyone else.

Da nodded. "Of course. Please."

Blonko put his hands together, and everyone else followed. "First, let us reflect on our own work and the effort of those who brought us sustenance. Second, let us be aware of the quality of our deeds as we receive this meal. Third, what is most essential is the practice of mindfulness, which helps us to transcend greed, anger, and delusion. Fourth, we appreciate this food which sustains the good health of our body and mind. Fifth, in order to continue our practice for all beings we accept this offering."

"...amen," Weiss said. Rook's family shot her strange looks. "...sorry. Force of habit."

Da raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Weiss felt a bit embarrassed, and Kylie patted her on the back.

"Don't worry. I would've said it too."

"So, father," Blonko began, as he took from one of the many Amber Ogia meals. "How goes the harvest?"

"The harvest is bountiful. Too bountiful," Da stated. "We could have used your help this year."

"I apologize I cannot be there." Blonko frowned. "My responsibilities with the team were a bit more..." He searched for a word better than 'important'. "...paramount."

"I see," Da grumbled. "I suppose tradition does not matter to you."

"In his defense," Ceres interjected, "we have to deal with problems across the galaxy. I think him missing out on one harvest isn't that much of a big deal."

"Tradition outweighs trivial matters." Bralla frowned. "Our son should not be risking his life on the battlefield. He should live a simple life at home."

"Ok, but...couldn't you, I dunno, use machines?" Kevin asked, waving his fork a little.

"Bah! A tradition that relies too heavily on technology is dead," Da declared.

Ceres, a woman who grew up surrounded and enamoured with technology, was absolutely offended. "...what does that mean?"

"There are many disadvantages with using technology, which include and are not limited to safety, price, effect on the economy, employment, potential social upheaval, and more. The Revonahganders prefer a simple rural way of life, compared to someone of your species," Da explained.

Ceres raised an eyebrow.

"...I realize that may have come off as insensitive. I apologize," he said gruffly but sincerely.

"You may continue," she said, mentally throwing aside a rock.

"You also have to consider the issues of technology and our agriculture. The excessive use of chemicals by the help of machinery may reduce the fertility of the land. There's also our lack of practical knowledge, machine overuse causing damages, and high maintenance costs."

"I...wow," Lev said, flabbergasted. "You have some good points there."

"He brought a whole thesis to the debate," Yang said. "I'm kind of surprised."

"And the use of machines goes against what our ancestors started," Bralla added. "Everything on our planet was made by hand. Our tradition reinforces values such as freedom, faith, integrity, a good education, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and the value of being selfless. We dare not insult what they started."

"Also understandable." Weiss nodded. "I can understand the respect towards tradition, but Rook's responsibility as a Plumber is very much important."

"Please. Blonko's 'rebellious' influence has already planted itself into your siblings heads," Da grumbled. "Young One refuses to do Master Kundo's training."

Blonko stared at his father, horrified. "He has every right to not do it! He is still just a child!"

Ben paused in scooping more food onto his plate and nudged Young One. "Uh, kid, why are they getting mad about this?"

"Typically my training does not start until after my bi'nthak falls off, but Father is trying to push Kundo to do it earlier," Young One sighed.

"I see," he said.

Ben then replayed the last conversation in his head.

"...until what?" he asked.

"Until my bi'nthak falls off," Young One explained, motioning to his tail. "Male tails fall off at puberty. After that I can finally have a name."

Ben blinked. What the actual fuck does that mean?

"So, it's kind of like a loose tooth?" Ruby asked.

"That is a very accurate comparison." Young One nodded. "As expected of the woman who charmed the Linguistic Ruler with clever word use."

"Yep!" Ruby nodded, before whipping out her phone to text Ben something. He opened up his phone to read the message:

My canon in space is WEIRD

Ben nodded, not daring to tell her of the other versions out there.

"Not only is your brother denying our tradition, but your sister as well," Bralla added. "She tends to watch the skies with our lousy 'sheriff' for 'safe keeping' rather than assist us in the fields."

Blonko looked at Shar. "Is this true?"

"I worry," she admitted. "I worry that maybe you have made some enemies...and that they might come for us when we least expect it."

That... was a legit fear, to be honest. Rook had faced villains alongside the group, and a lot of them weren't afraid to land low blows. Shar's fears were further validated by the fact they had faced murderers and convicts and Tyrian Callows.

"I...I see," Blonko said, setting down his glass. "You need not worry, sister. Many of our enemies are locked securely in a maximum security prison."

Da frowned. "That... is reassuring to know, I admit. But it does not change the fact that you have enemies in the first place."

A heavy, awkward silence settled over the room, and no one was sure how to break it. Blake quickly handed Ben a remote and pointed to a nearby laptop- Lev had connected it to speakers in case they needed background music.

"Maybe we could try listening to Earth music?" Ben said, his voice puncturing the silence. Before anyone could react, he settled on a pop music station, which was currently playing the best of the 2000s.

...it was currently playing "COMPLICATED" by Avril Lavigne.

Ben wanted to smash his face into the table. The song was legitimately good, but dear god was it inappropriately timed.

Da set down his drink. ""Ah yes, Avril Lavigne. Your sisters enjoy her music." Nearly everyone at the table froze and turned to look at Da, who casually ate some roast chicken. "Oh, this is good. What do you call this again? Meatloaf?"

"Waitwaitwait. What?" Ben sputtered.

"Avril Lavigne. My daughters love her-" Da repeated.

"How do you know about her?!" Yang gasped.

Young One blinked. "Did you not know? Before the Plumbers put in restrictions, the Milky Way constantly pirated media from Earth. Humans produce so much entertainment that other galaxies cannot keep up, so it was easier for others to just take it. Within the last thirty or so years, the Plumbers put up subscriptions and other such holders so the Xtranet would not steal anything. Not that it stops people, mind you." Young One smiled mischievously. "We know some of your greatest artists."

"That revenue is usually funneled to the Plumbers. How else do you think we can afford to rebuild everything criminals break?" Blonko added.

Ben sat back in his chair, dumbstruck. "Oh my god."

"It is one of the only beneficial things to come from your enlistment," Da said pointedly.

"Father, you should bring up the other thing of note," Blonko said tersely.

"There is nothing to be proud of there," his father spat. "My son signed up for war. What benefits does being the first of his kind have?"

"Wait, you too?" Ari piped up. She and Lev and most of RWBY and Zeta had been content to watch and eat from the sidelines, but this was enough to make Ari interrupt. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because," Blonko insisted. "I am just a Plumber. That is all that matters."

"And that is the issue," Da growled. "You put your job before your family. Your Revonnahgander pride is always inferior to that badge you wear. I am surprised you are not using contractions if you do not respect tradition at all."

"What?" Blake asked.

"They are technically our swear words," Shar explained.

"Why?"

She gave a half hearted shrug.

"Father, I did not do this for reputation. I joined the Plumbers to make a difference," Blonko said.

"Or did you do it to get away from us?" Da asked.

Blonko said nothing as he stood up and walked away from the table.

Blonko sat alone in the dorm room for a while. He finally understood why Ari despised her family so much. He could not take these goddamn guilt trips and fucking 'you don't want to interact with us' bullshit any longer.

He just wanted out. Blonko could write an entire novel on all the times his parents made him feel like absolute shit just for making mistakes and being young and just for existing. Ever since Blonko entered his teens, his parents pounded the idea into his head that all his errors are unfixable. It was unhealthy, and it was why he left-

"You doing good?"

Rook looked over to see Ceres standing in the doorway. The others were crowded around her.

"Yes," Rook lied.

"Are you sure?"

Rook looked up to see Shar, looking most concerned out of everyone. And that just hurt him the most.

"I apologize, Shar. I did not leave to get away from you, or mother or father. I wanted to prove to myself that...I could make a difference. That I could stand alone without our father's reputation hanging over me, creating a standard in which I should lead with. I wanted to have a greater impact on people. And not just...a leader of a harvest..." Blonko sighed as he put his face in his hands.

Shar closed her eyes. "It is fine, brother. I do not blame you one bit."

Blonko rubbed his eyes. "I just wish there was some way we could bring levity into the room. Move on from this. I simply do not know how."

Lev suddenly got an idea, mainly because the word 'levity' was used. "I'm kind of reluctant to mention this… but what if we got out the good wine?"

The others shared a look, as if to say 'we're not THAT desperate, right?'

...and then they shared a look, confirming they were that desperate.

"...Is it bad to say I agree with this plan?" Blonko said.

Shar gasped. "You would not dare to. Who are you? Where is my brother?"

Ceres shivered. "Man, we are a bad influence on you."

"I might have some good stuff in my...secret stash," Min said, averting your eyes.

"Where did you get wine?" Blake asked incredulously. "Where did you get the cash to presumably buy said wine?"

"None of your business," she hissed.

"Blake, you're holding her to higher standards if you think she bought it," Kevin stated.

"...fair point."

"Mother, father," Blonko announced. "May I interest you in an Earthly beverage called 'Mead'?" He lifted up a bottle of wine Min had absolutely stolen ("If they bought it, they can get another one!" Min defended herself). "It is reminiscent of the Ogia juices back home."

Da eyed the bottle carefully. "...I suppose so."

"There is no way Earth could replicate it," Bralla said. "But I will try it anyways."

And so they did.

...and the room got a bit more lively.

"The thing about Earth," Da said, motioning a bit. "It just BAFFLES me. Humans have become so complacent that they think they originated from here."

"...excuse me what?" Kylie asked.

"Another thing-!" Bralla added, red in the face. "Your policies on health! Americans appear to care more for bloodshed than the safety of others."

Ruby nodded. "You make an excellent point."

"Hello? Are we just gonna ignore the human statement from the Rook patriarch?!" Kylie yelled.

"Forget it," Shar said, sipping at her water. "It is a long conversation."

"AND I HAVE THE TIME, I AM SO LOST!"

"AND ONE MORE!" Da added. "About the Plumbers as a whole."

Rook sighed loudly. Ben cringed in his seat. Kevin coughed. Ceres took out her phone and pressed record. Ari did an awkward little smile. And Lev debated if he could just jump out the window to escape this whole thing.

(And Kylie was still focused on the human thing.)

"What are you even doing?" Da's question was unexpected, to say the least. "You all carry the power of life and death at your waists...or wrists..." He glanced over at Ben and Kevin. "You are empowered to do things that...were these actions done by civilians, they would be arrested. Not to mention, the idea of Plumber corruption is very plausible...like that recent case, about Black Ops head Servantis..."

Ben and Ruby felt sick hearing his name.

"How do I know my son is not going to end up like...one of them?" Da muttered. "I recognize that my...fathering skills may not be the best, but...what if I strayed my son from...the path of justice?"

Rook stared, at a loss of words.

"...is that why you have been so hard on him?" Bralla asked her husband.

"I suppose so," Da said, sobering up. "I knew that corruption bred corruption. Some Plumbers are okay with that taint within their own are not willing to report corruption because they don't want to be known as a snitch or a rat. And so you have good Plumbers allowing bad ones to get away with that behavior or actions. I did not want my son getting caught up in the crossfire. And...I do not want anyone else to either."

"...Father, I am still learning. I am trying to better myself, to be a hero not only to my siblings, but to a whole galaxy," Rook said gently. "And while I understand your concern...I will never end up like one of them. If I ever came face to face with one of those people, I would have to borrow from my friends and say...fuck you."

Ben gasped. "HE SAID A CURSE!"

"I TOLD YOU!" Ceres shouted.

Rook glared at them. "I can assure you- I am on the path of what is true and just."

"...I am still processing that entire dinner," Ruby admitted after everyone had left.

"I'm just glad that had a happy ending," Ben told her, smiling. Suddenly, thunder cracked close by as rain started pounding on their window. Ben turned to watch the rain fall.

"Huh. Didn't realize we were supposed to get rain today," he said as Ruby joined him. The two silently watched the rain fall for a few minutes, before Ben broke the silence.

"I'll be honest, I feel nervous about tomorrow."

Ruby looked back at him. "Huh? I thought you were excited."

"I feel ready, but at the same time I don't. It's weird." Ben shook his head. "Plus, I've literally been here for, what, two months? I'm almost 100% sure I'm going to screw something up tomorrow."

Ruby chuckled as she held her boyfriend's hand. "That was how I felt last year."

Ben looked at her. "What?"

"Dude, everyone's been really reserved today. You are not alone in this. There will be others like you tomorrow, trust me," Ruby explained. "I'm gonna treat tomorrow like I treat any other day. I'm hoping for the best, but I'm ready for the worst."

"That's a good philosophy," Ben told her sincerely.

"So why don't we just chill in here for now?" Ruby said hopefully. "Maybe build a pillow fort?"

"Do we even have enough pillows?"

"I'm sure nobody would notice me taking their pillows...especially Blake's 'Ninjas of Love' dakimakura."

"HER WHAT?"