"And why do you think you should do this?"

Oh, Ben wanted to know it for certain. He hadn't asked for this. Even if drifting his mind away from the break-up was useful, this wasn't it.

"Because for one, I don't want to bring a criminal into our home," Ben said to his mother, who was looking at him with worry. "Second, I don't want to make you more worried than you need to be."

"I will be worried regardless; I expect you to understand that," Sandra said, and Ben couldn't argue against that. "Will Rook at least be there with you?"

Ben grimaced. "No. He won't. He was assigned to a mission near Petropia. Diamondhead's planet." While his mother was probably not aware of faraway planets, she was more than aware of his transformations. "I don't know when he will come back." Safe to say, Ben wasn't happy. Dealing with the two problems at hand would have been easier with Rook by his side.

Maybe Gwen and Kevin were available?

Nah, mixing Gwen and Charmcaster together was almost always a recipe for disaster.

"I understand," Sandra said, pursing her lips. "But if it truly is an alternative version of you, it might be best for him to remain with us. Here."

"I'd rather not." Ben nervously answered. "I would prefer to be far away from here when dealing with them."

His mother leaned closer. "This is still about... her, right?" She inquired, causing Ben to sigh.

"Kind of. I guess I need a break from things. But I will still be here in Bellwood. I made reservations at a hotel."

"Fine. But if anything happens..."

"I can always come back or call you." Ben completed. "I know, Mom, don't worry."

A timid smile graced his mother's lips. "I love you, Ben. I take you're leaving right now?"

"Yeah." He already had packed his things into a bag, bringing some extra clothes for his counterpart. "I'll keep in touch. And I love you too, Mom."

Sandra's smile grew a bit wider, and she hugged him. Of course, the least he could do was to hug her back.

...

This wasn't a good start. The hotel was more like a hostel if anything. There were two rooms, which had terrorized Ben to death. He certainly didn't want to sleep with either his counterpart or Charmcaster, but at last, here he was. He dropped to the bed, feeling battered.

"Just because you're the one paying for the place it doesn't mean you can steal the best bed."

"Leave me alone," Ben said with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. When he opened his eyelids again, he noticed Charmcaster's gaze was locked on him.

"You can't be this annoyed by mine and his presence." She nodded to the wall that bordered both theirs and Bad Ben's room.

"It certainly doesn't help."

She sat on the bed, still looking at him. "I'm offended. But tell me, is there something more? Sorry to say this, but you're looking terrible."

Ben also sat on the bed now, glaring at the witch. "Why do you care?"

Charmcaster narrowed her eyes. "Look, I don't plan on antagonizing you. I don't intend to be annoying or ruining your life in general. I meant what I said when I asked for your help. Really. What good would it do to keep making you mad?"

Ben stared at her purple irises for a few seconds before sighing. "I guess you have a point. Look, it's personal."

"Oh." She pursed her lips. "You don't have to... tell me if you don't want to. Sorry if I crossed a line. I was just..."

Ben interrupted her. "Nah, it's okay. I'm just mad at everything recently. I'll keep it short; it was a break-up."

"Oh." Understanding dawned on her eyes. "That makes sense."

"And Rook is gone for a mission. And I have been assigned with you two."

"I already said I won't try to make things more difficult for you," Charmcaster said.

Ben scoffed. "Sure, but he certainly will. He's already said it." He could only imagine what was going on with his counterpart right now. Was he listening to the conversation? Probably not. It's more likely he went to bed or something. He did seem tired, even if his exhaustion was more cloaked than that of Ben himself.

"Shouldn't you understand yourself better than anyone?" She asked.

"He is not me," Ben stated. "And that's painful enough for my head."

A few moments of silence followed the interaction, with Ben once more lying down on the bed, while Charmcaster stood still for a moment before she stood up, analyzing her bed for a second. Ben only now noticed she didn't possess the bag that she had carried – and talked to – in the past.

"What happened to your bag?" Ben questioned.

The white-haired witch grimaced. "Your cousin has it. I only freed myself because of that game. It's weird how technology isn't always subservient to magic."

Ben blushed at the mention of that horrible game, while also feeling down again. "Yeah..."

She looked again at him. "Your girlf-, I mean, ex, now. Didn't you two get together after that game?"

Ben looked at her with shock. "How do you know that detail?"

Charmcaster chuckled. "You don't know how much people love to talk about your personal life? You're Earth's biggest hero."

"I just didn't think people would be aware of that." Ben shuddered. "I thought I got over the whole celebrity thing."

"That's just because you closed your own eyes to it, it seems." She said. "People are already theorizing about why you've been a bit absent the last few days."

"How do you know all that?" Ben asked, feeling annoyed. Not by Charmcaster necessarily, but by the rest of the world, it seemed.

"I had to track you down, didn't I?" She smiled. "I thought you could have broken up with your girlfriend but also just have been busy. So that's why I orchestrated the 'heist' on the bank." The witch explained, making quotation signs with her hands.

"Genius." Once more, Ben sat on the bed, feeling sore and now hungry. "I'm thinking of going out to eat something."

"Do you want to do it alone?" She asked, seeming a tad bit worried. He just shrugged in response.

"You can come. But... I don't think being seen with you will do any favors for me. Especially after what you said."

She pouted. "Huh. What about those masks? The type that he's wearing?"

"That's a good idea," Ben stated. "I might have one spare from Kevin's days. I just..." He got lost in thought, thinking of a possible identity that Charmcaster could use. The problem was if she used her powers. Which he didn't imagine would be easy to deter her from doing so.

But then, a brilliant idea worthy of Brainstorm sparkled in his head.

...

Ben brought one of the Chili Fries to his mouth, relishing its taste while the other two looked at him with a mix of disgust and amusement. Well, more like his counterpart was disgusted while Charmcaster gazed at him with her lips turned upward.

Or, to properly say, Jonathan Yates was looking at Ben with disgust. That was the identity his counterpart was assigned with, one of an old plumber who had chosen to retire and live on a faraway planet. Like earlier, Ben was puzzled to notice how the main features were the same as Bad Ben. Pale skin, although not even Bad Ben's actual appearance was as pale as Albedo was. The same raven hair, and similar sea-green eyes.

As for Charmcaster, well, that was more interesting. Instead of her actual face, sitting in front of him was what appeared to be his cousin. Not Gwen, though. Sunny. Black-haired, blue-eyed, and goth-looking Sunny. The Anodite one that dated Ester's current boyfriend. That thought brought a shudder to his body.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked to his glaring counterpart. "If you were me, you'd love these too."

"I go through phases." He answered. "Currently, I'm almost puking just by looking at that. Can you even call it food?"

Charmcaster hummed. "It looks terrible, but it smells good." She extended her arm and got one of the chili fries, bringing it to her mouth. While she munched on it, her expression went from uncertainty to approval. "Yeah, they're ok. I'd rather have that, though." She said as she got up from her chair, thanks to her name appearing on the order screen. Just as she left, Bad Ben leaned forward on his seat.

"Why Sunny?"

"I was wondering if you'd know her." Ben crossed his arms, sporting a smirk. "It's the best I could think of without asking her to not use her powers. Sunny is similar enough so she can stay undercover, even if no one on Earth knows her." He drank from his coke. "It will do it."

"Does... Levin and Gwendolyn know of her?" His counterpart inquired. His tone and hesitation puzzled Ben.

"Yes," Ben admitted.

Bad Ben scoffed. "Then it's a matter of time before the cover is blown."

"It will be fine." Just then, Charmcaster returned with both with all three orders. Of course, Ben wasn't about to order just a pack of chili fries! What was less than great, though, was that to be able to carry all three orders... she just had to use her magic powers to lift them in the air.

"People are looking." Ben scolded her lightly.

Charmcaster shrugged, sitting down. "They can look all they want."

"It will attract... attention." Ben looked around, sure that someone had failed to hide their phone in time from his sight. It wasn't unusual for him to be photographed – and Charmcaster's earlier comments certainly made him a lot more paranoid – but the focus was not on him and instead on her.

At least Gwen didn't have Twitter.

"Benny, calm down," Charmcaster said, munching on her burger. "You were the one to come up with this exactly for this reason."

"I'd rather have you not using your magic." He stated.

She swallowed her food and let out a genuine laugh. "That's preposterous."

"And stupid to even conceive of." Bad Ben stated. "With me, it's simple. I wouldn't be able to do anything to you while you wear it." He looked at the Omnitrix. Ben felt the urge to hide it behind the palm of his hand. "But Sunny here is much more problematic."

"You always use the less flattering words." She remarked, earning an eye roll from the raven-haired man.

"Scoundrels like you don't like honesty, right?" He provoked, glaring at the witch, who in turn raised an eyebrow.

"You don't seem like a hero to call me out on honesty." Ben could see that her eyes were already sparkling,

"That's enough." He intervened. "Instead of fighting, eat."

"I am eating." The witch said, and sure enough, she was again munching on her hamburger, which was... levitating right next to her mouth. Aw, man. Gwen was going to kill him.

"I'm finished." His counterpart announced, and it wasn't surprising. Not like he ordered a lot, just a soda and a small pack of chicken nuggets. After that, Ben and Charmcaster resumed eating, while Bad Ben alternated between glaring at him, at the witch, or just looking into the horizon with anger. What was his problem?

Ben had learned a long time ago not to be affected by alternate universes. Sometimes, you just turn into an emo or a zombie. But this counterpart... he was so different... But similar. It made him nervous.

But of course, his late afternoon just had to be ruined by an explosion nearby.

"I swear to God, why is my luck so poor?" He complained, already going for the Omnitrix.

"You have too many enemies." Charmcaster continued to eat her meal, unfazed.

Ben blinked. "Are you two going to... stay here?"

"No." Bad Ben cleaned his mouth, getting up. "I'm eager to see how fast you will fall."

"I will go too," Charmcaster said, using her magic to store the remaining meal, since she hadn't finished it. "You might need my help."

Ben simply sighed. "I hope so."

The walk to the source of the explosion wasn't long, in fact, in less than a minute they had arrived to find a massive crater, in which a strange cube resided in front of it. It looked... strange. Robotic. It was familiar to Ben, but he couldn't think of what it could be exactly until the cube started to move, a hole akin to a doorframe appearing. From there, an olive green Techadon Robot came, its eye glowing a deep crimson suddenly. Ben's hand was instinctively already on the Omnitrix as the robot glanced at him. He heard the sound of Mana, so Ben assumed it was Charmcaster summoning it like Gwen usually did before a confrontation.

But before either the three of them or the robot could make a move, something fast hit the robot, knocking him backward, but not doing too much damage. Ben frantically looked around, finding Bad Ben to be frowning at the situation. He had forgotten his counterpart couldn't transform. So if it wasn't him, in any capacity, then...

He got his answers when a burgundy jet appeared in the sky, from which three beings jumped into the crater. A pyronite, already shooting fire from his hands, threatening to melt the robot from the outside. A tetramand then immediately got close to the robot, punching it relentlessly. The robot was good, however, deflecting and dodging many of the punches. But he never saw what came next, as a laser beam was fired from the jet, throwing the Techadon machine meters away from where it had been. Before the robot could even properly react, the same fast being hit him again, hard, and right after the last of the ones who had jumped from the ship, a giant Lenopan, grabbed the robot and snapped him in half, circuits flying around the crater.

All that under a minute.

Ben was very shocked, to say the least. He hadn't realized the helpers were back in action. At least not on Earth. And that Lenopan, was that...

"Ben!" A familiar voice echoed in the crater, and the Lenopan morphed, shrinking down until in its place stood a very familiar face. His cousin Lucy Mann, wearing her signature star dress with a skirt, ran towards him, just as the jet landed in the crater. Once she reached him, she hugged him tightly, more so than his ribs could take.

"Hey, Lucy!" Ben said, a bit out of air. Lucy noticed and released him from her grip, smiling apologetically. "You're back on Earth."

"I am!" She said enthusiastically. "After so much training with the team in the academy!"

Ben found himself frowning. "Team?"

"Yes, team." Another familiar feminine voice said. Ben looked to find Helen Wheels grinning at him. "I imagined you knew."

That only spiraled Ben's confusion further. "No, I..."

"It's fine, it is a bit classified." That was Cooper Daniels, who looked even more different than the last time Ben saw him. Instead of looking oddly like Kevin, he resembled now a football player, his shoulders being very broad, but his hair remained long. He wore a suit much similar to the jet. "Hey, Ben."

"Cooper. Alan. Manny." Ben greeted all three of them, as Alan Albright and Manny Armstrong came to the scene. While Alana greeted Ben with a smile just as he morphed back into human form, Manny's reaction was to simply nod. Well, at least an acknowledgment. "What's this about?"

"Well, it seemed that Earth needed some more muscle after Gwen and Kevin practically retired," Helen explained, as Alan snickered. "And you can't be everywhere. Especially outside Bellwood."

If possible, the frown that Ben sported just grew further. "I know you guys helped a lot in the past and all. But I didn't see you all helping on Earth. Are you all still Plumbers?"

Cooper smirked. "Well, yes. Just that we operate a little bit separately. I suppose we encompass that superhero territory."

"That's right!" Lucy said enthusiastically. "It feels good to be out of that space station." All the other members of the... team, nodded. "And do what you do is awesome too, Ben! But we're still warming up."

"Which is why we are only operating in Bellwood and Undertown. For now. The plan is to go global" Alan turned his eyes to Charmcaster and Bad Ben. "And who are you?"

Ben answered first before either of his two companions could cause issues. "This is Jonathan. He is a former Plumber who came back to Earth recently. He is filling up for Rook." His counterpart mirrored the simple nod that Manny gave to Ben. "This... is Sunny. She's my cousin."

"Hello," Charmcaster said with a mischievous smile. Even if it wasn't an actual act, at least she could play Sunny well.

"Cousin?" Helen questioned.

"Cousin?!" Lucy repeated. "Why don't I know about you?"

"She's from Anodyne," Ben explained. "Uh... my grandma sent her here. She's staying with me for a few weeks since Gwen was unavailable."

Cooper nodded. "Fair. Good to see you again, Ben. I think we gotta go, though." He said as a faint beeping was heard from the jet. "It seems we have another situation."

"I told you we needed alert watches," Manny said to Cooper.

"And he will build them when he can." Helen said soothingly, making Manny retract a bit. "See you around, Ben." She then ran to the ship, followed by the other members of the team. After another hug from Lucy and with her catching up with the others, the jet took off, flying fast into the horizon.

"Alright, what the hell?!" Ben said, feeling quite mad. "Did they really replace me?"

"You call that a replacement?" Bad Ben chuckled. "They're doomed if so."

"I have to agree," Charmcaster said. "They can only be an addition."

Ben sighed. "Fuck." He looked over to the witch. "Do you still have our meals?"

From a bubble of mana that arrived from the sky, he was given his lunch by Charmcaster.

"Right away, hero." She said and sat at the curb, already eating her burger. Shrugging he sat down by her side, followed by Bad Ben.

At least they had good food.