Four Arms-Ben was helping a tour bus carrying senior citizens that had veered off the highway and fallen into a canyon.
"It's all right, everybody. Everything's fine now." Said Four Arms-Ben as he walked back to the camper.
"So you're not going to help us, Mr. Strong Man. Who raised you, anyway?" Exclaimed an old man.
"Oh, be a dear and carry me, will you? My bunions are killing me." Asked an old lady.
"Your bunions, my bum. My new hip is out of whack, I'm first!" Shouted the other.
Four Arms-Ben sighed and reluctantly began helping them off the bus.
Meanwhile, in the Rust Bucket, Gwen was browsing websites about witches, ancient runes and magical artifacts before brandishing her old mask.
"Lucky Girl... I wish you were more than just a Halloween costume." She said, sighing heavily.
She looked at Hope with sad eyes. Hope looked back at her.
"For the last time, I'm not giving you my spell book."
"Oh, come on! I'll just read it. I promise I'll give it back to you when I'm done." Gwen begged.
"Magic isn't something you can just learn by reading a book. It takes years to master and anyway, humans don't have the mana to use magic." Hope said as she wiggled her fingers and a glass of water floated up to her and she took a sip.
"You do it very well..." Gwen grumbled.
"Well, I was born naturally with magic." Hope said simply.
"Well, I could use magic when I had the charm." Protested Gwen.
"You weren't using magic, you were simply channeling the powers of charms. Anyone in possession of a magical object is capable of using magic, witch or otherwise." Said Hope.
"So, if I can get my hands on magical objects, I could use magic too, couldn't I?" Said Gwen.
Hope looked at her before letting out a deep sigh. She walked over to the table and sat down opposite Gwen.
"Maybe, but magical objects are not without consequences, Gwen. Some artifacts can cause their users to lose their minds." Hope sighed, speaking in a low tone that alerted the young girl.
"What do you mean?"
"Once, a man appeared claiming he wanted to become the most powerful wizard who ever lived. And he succeeded... he became one of the most powerful and bloodthirsty sorcerers the world has ever known. He invaded the birthplace of mana, Legerdomain, and conquered it for himself, killing the king... forcing the king's daughter and brother to flee their land, never to return."
Gwen looked at her and realized she shouldn't insist.
Hayden looked at the girls and smiled a little, glad that Hope had confided in someone.
Then he thought back to what had happened. These were the events that normally introduced Hope to the series. But... she was with them and in their camp... what was going to happen.
Ben entered the camper and slumped into the front seat.
"Ugh, sometimes this hero stuff gets really tiresome." He groaned.
"You should be proud of yourself, Ben. These people would have been in a very difficult situation without you." said Max.
"I know, but I'd just like a normal summer day where I could hang out all day and do nothing. You know, like Gwen." Says Ben.
"You should appreciate what you have, I was only Lucky Girl for a few hours!" Protested Gwen.
"Really? Was that all? Because with all the bragging you did, it felt like weeks." Ben laughed, then she threw a pillow at his face.
"The worst was when those grandmas wanted me to go with them to an old magic convention in Las Vegas. No kidding..." Ben scoffed.
"A magic convention?!" Said Gwen, straightening up at this new information.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no! Did you hear what I said?" Hope said, trying to dissuade the young girl.
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Hope moaned as they entered a magic convention.
"Try to see the positive. You can have fun looking at all the supposedly magical charms that are really scams." Hayden joked, now wearing a long, thin black summer jacket with green neon patterns.
"That's true." Smiled the silver-haired teenager.
They passed a booth where people were practicing magic tricks. Gwen looked up at the large banner.
"Magic expo of the year? It's all cheap tricks and disgusting tricks. I thought it was going to be real magic, not the stuff from shows and birthday parties." she complained.
Ben and Hayden walked over to a table full of stuff.
"Ho ho, look at that! Fake bugs and fake ice cubes, fake vomit, fake dog poop!" Said Ben.
"Well, as long as we're here, we might as well look around," suggested Max.
Gwen and Hope spotted a stand with a sign reading "Magic Charms".
"I don't suppose you have any real magic items?" Gwen asked the lady manning the stall.
"That depends on what you mean by magic, my pretty." Said the lady without looking up from her book.
Hope began to point out the objects one by one.
"Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake."
Gwen then spots a gauntlet with a red charm in the middle. She picks it up and slips it around her arm.
"I'll take it." Gwen smiled.
Hope noticed the gauntlet and her eyes widened.
"Wait, that's..."
A cry suddenly rang through the air. Gwen immediately sprang into action and ran after the cries of distress.
Hope was about to follow when the lady sitting at the table stopped her.
"Wait a moment."
Hope turned to look at her. The lady smiled and waved her wrist, and a small golden box appeared in her hand.
"A gift, just for a pretty girl in love like you." She said, handing the box to Hope.
Hope looked down at the box and ran her fingers over it. It looked chique and engraved on it was the symbol of the Alpha Rune.
"What's that?" Hope asked, looking up to see that the saleswoman and her entire display had disappeared, which surprised her. Who could this woman be?
"Are you okay, Hope?" Hayden asked as he reached the stall.
"Uh, yes!" Hope said quickly, stuffing the box back into her bag. "Aren't you... aren't you going to see what's going on?"
"No, I think Ben can handle it." Hayden said with a shrug.
While Hope was still at the booth, Gwen, Ben and Max were now outside the convention to see the source of the screaming.
They could see a man hanging from a rope attached to a helicopter in flight, and it appeared that the helicopter was experiencing a breakdown.
"Ben, would this be a good time to become a hero...?"
"I know, Grandpa." Said Ben before running quickly behind a pillar, only Max and Gwen could see him activate his Omnitrix, choose his alien and transform into Stinkfly to save the man.
But the situation seemed to get worse as the helicopter's blades came loose.
Gwen noticed that Max didn't notice the blades coming towards him, and she immediately pushed him out of the way.
Mysteriously, the charm on the bracelet she received sparkled, and she pushed Max out of the way just in time.
Her incredible stunt intrigued him.
"Wow! Wait, is that it?" Gwen asked, realizing what the bracelet had done as Max pulled away.
Meanwhile, Stinkfly continued to cling to the underside of the helicopter, and he used his slime to create threads that were able to hold the helicopter in place. Stinkfly managed to stop the helicopter, but the man was ready to fall when they saw that the rope holding him was burning. He fell, but suddenly Lucky Girl came to the rescue and caught him just in time. She's wearing her black costume and mask!
The crowd applauded Stinkfly and Lucky Girl's teamwork.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lucky Girl." Says Stinkfly-Ben.
"Likewise, Stinkfly." Says Lucky Girl.
Later in the camper, Hope began to explain to Tennyson and Hayden what the cornerstone Gwen was wearing was.
"This is the lost keystone of Bezel. A legendary artifact that can increase a person's magical abilities and powers tenfold. Bezel's charms were only a fraction of the keystone's power." she explained.
"But in this case he's safe with me." Said Gwen, pointing to her bracelet.
"Uh..." Said Hayden in a tone that suggested he had very bad news to announce while on his laptop he'd bought shortly after their confrontation with SixSix and Vulkanus.
"What is it?" Max asked.
"Well, I think one of our old acquaintances might be looking for him." Hayden replied, turning his computer towards them to show them a newspaper article showing that Hex had recently escaped from prison.
"He's probably planning to steal the keystone in order to recreate the charms. To do that, he'll have to perform a ritual at the highest point in town." Says Hope.
"If Hex wants to attack the convention, we have to be there to stop him." Said Gwen, but this only frightened Hope, who still remembered the fear her uncle instilled in her and that moment he nearly killed her.
"Hope." Hayden said, seeing her worry and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We won't let him hurt you, Hope. This time we're all here to face him. And we'll be prepared."
"T-thank you..." Hope said, sighing with relief as she placed a hand on Hayden's.
They then returned to the magician's convention and watched the upcoming event.
"A new contestant is about to attempt to take the crown!" Declared the announcer.
Ben seems to have an idea of what to do.
The magician on stage calls for a volunteer.
"Oh! Me!" Ben exclaimed.
The magician chose Ben and placed him in the box, and a few seconds after the man sang Abracadabra, the box lit up green and Wildmutt stepped out, immediately provoking cheers from the audience for the magician's act.
Hope was very amused to see the magician having to pretend he'd planned it when he was clearly surprised, while Hayden, Max and Gwen seemed to be the only ones in the crowd to ignore Wildmutt, keeping an eye out for any sign of Hex's presence.
A cloud of red dust hovered over the building, heading towards the stage, where Hex appeared.
Hope and Hayden stayed back to help while Max evacuated the civilians.
But Hex didn't notice her and saw Gwen.
"Lucky Girl! I order you to hand over the lost keystone of Bezel!" he shouted.
Hex realized that the audience was looking for magic tricks. So, to fit the bill, he used magic to threaten them with various explosions.
Lucky Girl then jumped onto the stage to stop Hex.
Hex tried to grab Lucky Girl's keystone, but was thrown across the stage by her.
Hope tried to help in the fight and sent several of her small statuettes, which were then transformed into her stone creatures.
Hex saw this, and irritated by his niece, he used powerful spells to destroy his niece's stone creatures, not realizing that Wildmutt-Ben was pushing one of the wooden blocks on which an ampi was resting so that it fell on the sorcerer.
But he realized it in time, because of the shadow it cast over him, and dodged it just before being crushed.
He rose to his feet and launched an attack that threw Max and Lucky Girl into a maze of hedges in the area!
Hex used his niece's methods and threw stone creatures into the maze, which stopped at the feet of the old man and his granddaughter, then transformed into larger ones to chase them away.
Fortunately, they were able to get out of their sight as they ran through the hedge maze!
"Hunt them down!" Ordered the sorcerer.
The stone creatures and Hex ran after them while Hope, Wildmutt-Ben, and Hayden who had transformed into Carbuncle managed to finish off the creatures Hex had sent to hold them back.
"Come on, let's help the others!" Hope said.
They ran into the labyrinth and split up.
Max was pursued by the giant stone monster, and just as he was about to attack it, Wildmutt-Ben ran up and crushed the creature, just in time to save him.
But as soon as this happened, Wildmutt became Ben again.
"Where's Gwen?" Ben asked.
Just then, Hex appeared. He snapped his fingers and the two suddenly found themselves wrapped in rope.
"Ah, my negotiating skills." He says.
Meanwhile, Lucky Girl, Carbuncle-Hayden and Hope found themselves in the labyrinth.
"There you are. Where are Ben and Grandfather?" Lucky Girl asked.
"We split up to look for you. Come on, we've got to find them!" Hope replied.
They soon emerged from the labyrinth to see Hex holding Max and Ben captive!
"Ben! Grandpa!" Lucky Girl shouted.
"Quiet! Lucky Girl. I'll make a deal with you. Give me the keystone of Bezel and my niece back, or I'll kill your cousin and your grandfather! As for you, white creature, try just once to absorb my mana as you did last time, and no matter what the child chooses, I'll kill them." Hex declared.
"Don't do it!" Ben shouted.
"He can't get his hands on such power!" Max shouted back.
"Shut up, you fools!"
Lucky Girl was about to attack, but Hope opened her bag and released bats that caught Hex, knocking him into a nearby pool!
Max and Ben managed to escape their bonds and run towards the others. But before they could say anything, Hex emerged from the water, seething with rage! He was able to send a tendril of magic from his cape that caught Hope AND the keystone.
"No!" Carbuncle-Hayden shouted.
"Let her go and give us back the keystone!" Gwen ordered.
"It's too late to stop me now! When the eclipse is over, I'll be back to finish you off!" Hex declared before taking off with the keystone and his niece.
"Hayden!" Hope shouted as she was swept away by her uncle.
Moments later, the eclipse was near and Hex was preparing the ritual to recreate the five Bezel charms and recover their powers and abilities once more at the top of the city's tallest tower.
Hope was tied up, praying for her friends to save her. Praying for Hayden to save her, Hex's bonds preventing her from using magic.
On the ground, the quartet arrived to stop him.
"We've got to stop Hex before he recreates those charms!" Said Gwen.
"Or hurt Hope!" Hayden added.
"As Hope said, Hex needs to get to the highest point in town. That's where the ritual will be performed." Said Max.
Hex recited a spell and the cornerstone rose skyward.
"Soon, my power will be ultimate!" He said as the eclipse drew nearer as time pressed on.
"I guess it's all up to you, Ben, Hayden." Says Gwen.
But Ben currently can't activate the watch.
"I'll need some help. Any more luck?" Ben asked, which made Gwen smile.
"I've got an idea." Said Max.
Max and Gwen found a window-washing platform and began using it to climb to the top floor, while Ben took out the hoverboard Tetrax had given him.
Ben then looked at Hayden.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Hex continued his spell while Hope seemed frightened by her uncle's actions, when they heard someone.
"HEY!"
They turn to see Lucky Girl there, as if floating!
"Impossible! How?"
But then Hex understood what was going on, he used magic to pull her and Max up, making him realize that he was the one holding her.
"You have no other magic. You have no power!"
"I don't, but he does!" Gwen replied.
Although he discovered that Lucky Girl had no known magical powers or abilities, Ben arrived with his hoverboard.
He hit Hex on the head, but this posed a problem, as he ended up being pushed over the edge of the board!
Lucky Girl tried to subdue Hex, but his magic was too powerful and he sent Max and Gwen flying into a roller-coaster carriage!
Ben continued to hold on for dear life, but this had given him enough time for the Omnitrix to recharge.
"And so ends your little adventure, my boy!" Hex said, stepping towards Ben.
Hope looked horrified as she tried desperately to break her bonds. But she couldn't, and Hex knocked Ben off the roof!
"No!" she shouted.
As Ben fell, he tried to transform into Four Arms, but was transformed into Wildvine.
"Huh, that'll work!" Said Wildvine-Hayden as he stretched out his arms to cling to the buildings, and began to climb back up!
Hope saw Wildvine climbing and managed to whisper a spell that increased his speed.
Hex hurls magic orbs at the roller coaster, destroying the path in front of the carriages. Fortunately, Wildvine manages to catch Max and Gwen before they crash.
While this continued, Hex continued the spell to complete Bezel's five charms.
"Uncle, please don't!" Hope said.
"Be quiet! The only reason you're still alive is because of the promise I made to my brother!" Hex shouted.
"If only you were less obsessed with power."
Hex se retourna et vit Carbuncle-Hayden apparaitre et le frappé violement au visage.
"You'd probably be a better uncle."
"Hayden!" Said Hope, happier than ever to see her best friend.
He then went towards Hope and managed to cut her bonds by changing his left arm into a weapon.
Lucky Girl punches Hex in the face and manages to grab her stick, but when Hex tries to grab it, it slips out of her hands and falls into Hope's!
Hope stares wide-eyed at the staff as everyone stands up.
"Charmcaster, give me the stick! The charms are almost rebuilt! Give it to me! NOW!" Hex ordered.
Hope was frightened for a second, but thinking back to her time with Hayden and the Tennysons, she quickly pulled herself together.
"My name... is Hope." She said, looking defiantly at her uncle before snapping the stick on her knee.
"NO!" Hex shouted as the magic of the ritual began to become unstable and the newly created charms threatened to explode.
However, Carbuncle-Hayden reacted quickly and spread his arms wide as he absorbed all the ritual's magic.
He managed to contain the energy of the explosion within him before releasing it violently without causing any damage as Hex felt himself being sucked towards the keystone!
"No! No! You'll all pay for this." Said Hex as he was quickly sucked into the keystone. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
Hex was sucked into the keystone as it fell to the ground, the ritual ended and the eclipse was over!
Hope took a breath before falling to her knees.
Gwen, Max and Ben headed for the keystone while Hayden became human again and stayed with her.
"Well, now that the keystone has no power, I guess Lucky Girl doesn't have as much of a chance?" Said Gwen.
"You know, there are other ways to be a hero." Says Ben to put her in perspective.
"Like hoverboarding?" Gwen smiled as she jumped on the hoverboard before taking off, much to Ben's dismay, which made Max laugh.
Hayden hugged Hope.
"I was so worried." He said, happy that the crisis was over and that Hope was all right.
She didn't know what to say, so she hugged him back before noticing something on the floor.
"Uh... Hayden." She said.
This caught the teenager's attention as they parted so he could see what she had seen.
What had caught the witch's eye were some rough-looking crystals.
"That wasn't there before." Said Hayden, picking up one of the stones.
"Yeah, but that's not what surprises me most... they emanate mana." Hope explained.
"Wait, if they appeared after I absorbed the mana from the ritual... does that mean..." Hayden deduced.
"Yes, Carbuncle absorbs the mana and creates a magical ore when it's released. Hope realized. "You absolutely mustn't let this ability be revealed." she said, grabbing him by the shoulders. "If it ever gets out, who knows what wizards will do to exploit this power."
"Hope, calm down." Hayden said reassuringly, taking Hope's hands in his own. "I promise I won't use Carbuncle unless it's absolutely necessary."
This reassured Hope before a thought crossed her mind and a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
She then kissed Hayden on the cheek, which froze the young man.
"Thanks for saving me." She said before starting to pick up the crystals from her bag to make sure no one found them.
"Uh... are you okay, Hayden?" Ben asked, running his hand past the teenager's face. "I think he bugged out. What's the matter with him, Grandpa?"
"You'll understand when the time comes, Ben." Max smiled.
But little did they know that Bezel's Keystone still had some power left in it, after shining brightly as it lay on the ground, indicating that Hex would one day return...
While all this was going on, the woman in the booth watched it all and smiled under her hood as she saw the interaction between Hayden and Hope.
"I'm very proud of you." She said before disappearing with a teleportation spell.