We cue to the inside of Omni-Manor as Ben and Jen burst through the door, out of breath with the sounds of overlapping chatter and flashing cameras flashed out behind them as Jen groaned.
"Courtney! Initiate lockdown from the press!"
"Lockdown protocol initiated."
Everyone looked out as heavy metal shutters closed down over all the doors and windows in the place, blocking the paparazzi from view as they all groaned out in disappointment and walked away as Jen groaned out and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion, as Ben sat in the chair next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder as she buried her face in the pillow and screamed out.
"Okay," Ben said as he turned to the rest of the team as they gathered. "Being famous? It can be kind of fun."
"Yeah," Jen groaned as she sat up from the couch and laid her hand in her chin. "But the paparazzi? Not fun!"
"Tell me about it," Gwen said as she sat own next to her cousin. "They're the reason Princess Diana is dead."
"Yeah, well we're going to find a way to get them off your backs, trust us," Becky said with a smile. "It'll take some time, but we'll get to it."
That was when Courtney sounded out for the team.
That was when the doorbell rang as Kevin groaned out.
"Wanna bet it's the paparazzi again?" Kevin asked.
"For their sake, let's hope not," Ally muttered with a facepalm.
"If they are, I've got a mana wave with their name on it," Jen said bitterly, her hands glowing pink with mana.
Ben groaned and opened the door and were greeted with a royal fanfare as they saw a line of trumpets leading to their door as a man in formal wear walked up to them and unfurled a scroll in his hands as the fanfare stopped.
"Ben and Jen Tennyson," he recited. "For your services in saving not just the planet, but the universe from various forces beyond our wildest comprehensions, I cordially invite you, your team and your family to London for a week. At the end of which, there will be a ceremony to officially inaugurate the pair of you as knights. All of your expenses on this trip will be paid for by me. Yours truly, Queen Elizabeth II of England."
The twins' eyes widened at this as they turned to each other with a smile.
"You hear that guys? We're going on vacation to London!" Jen cheered.
"And we're going to be knights! Real knights!" Ben said. "And nothing like the Forever Knights either!"
"You guys really are amazing," Becky said with a roll of her eyes as she got up. "Well, let's get ready. The flight's in two days."
Sandra sighed as she washed the dishes as she heard he phone ring and she picked it up to see it was her elder daughter.
"Hey, sweetheart. How's it going?"
"Mom, you're never going to believe this," Jen said. "The Omni-Team and you guys and Emma have been invited to London so Ben and I can become official knights!"
Sandra's eyes widened as she felt her breath slightly seize as she smiled.
"That's great honey! When's the flight to London?"
"It's in two days. Who knows? Maybe one of those Andromeda aliens will show up while we're on vacation?"
"Let's hope not. I'll see you soon, Jen," Sandra said. "I love you."
"Ben and I love you too, Mom," Jen smiled, hanging up.
Sandra only got up and walked off and opened the door to the basement. She then sighed as she looked at the hidden keypad behind the shelf and pressed in a code, which revealed a secret compartment in the wall to reveal an elevator.
"Passcode accepted. Welcome, Sandra," an automated voice said as Sandra sighed and stepped into the elevator with a sigh as she descended to a secret compartment.
She turned on the lights in the room to reveal the walls were packed with tons of dangerous-looking weaponry as she moved across it and at the very end of the room was a display case that showed off a very peculiar outfit.
"I was hoping I would never have to do this," Sandra told herself. "But maybe it's time that I told the kids the the truth. I mean, their secret's been out for a little bit now. I guess maybe I should tell them mine now."
She walked over to the stand next to the outfit and slipped on a small bracelet over her wrist with a nod.
"Oh, I hope this thing still fits."
Upon arriving at the hotel in London, Ben an Jen pushed through the paparazzi before making it to the hotel room.
"For the last time," Jen told the fanboys through gritted teeth as the hotel security came in to take them away. "I... have... a... boyfriend."
"And I have a girlfriend," her brother added. "So please just leave us alone."
With that, Jen slammed the door as their friends and family smiled and sat back as Emma looked out from the balcony in awe at all of the sights that were just out the window. The Eye of London, the double-decker busses, Big Ben, etc.
"This place is amazing," Emma said as she walked over and hugged her big brother and sister before walking over to their parents.
"Yeah," Ben said with a smile as he laid back on the bed. "Plus, we have the London Guard to keep the paparazzi away from us since we're the Queen's guests."
"Please," Jen said. "We spent three weeks training with one of the most amazing queens you'll ever see."
Upon reminding the twins of Scarlett, Sandra smiled with a slight twitch of her eye as she sat on the bed. That twitch, however, didn't go unnoticed by her husband, who raised an eyebrow, confused.
And at that moment was when a slight ringing was heard throughout the room and the Omni-Team looked into their pockets and pulled out their ringing Plumbers' Badges with a shake of their head.
"Can we ever get a vacation when we're not working?" Gwen groaned as they turned on the holograms.
"Talk to us, Clay," Becky said.
"Hey, guys. Jimmy called. He told me that there was an alien made entirely out of metal that's been sighted in London near Big Ben," Clay reported. "She's probably still there. And I happen to know that you're in London right now."
"That's right," Ben said. "We're getting ready to be knighted by the Queen."
"And with our luck, it's probably one of those Andromeda aliens," Jen nodded as they all nodded. "We're on our way right now."
"Let's do this, guys," Kevin said. "Don't want London to get destroyed before the twins' big moment."
"Ain't that the truth," Ally said.
"Good luck, guys," Emma said as she hugged Ben and Jen and they hugged her back.
"We'll be back as soon as we can. Then, we can take you anywhere in London you want," Jen promised, rubbing Emma's head as they went out.
About ten minutes later, Sandra set her down.
"Well, I think I'm going to... check out London as well," Sandra smiled nervously as Carl shook his head at her as Emma looked on, confused.
"Sandra, what's going on?"
"Are you hiding something from us, Mommy?" Emma asked as Sandra gripped her hands tightly as she sighed.
"Yes, I am," she admitted. "I'll tell you all about it when I get back, but right now, I need to help my babies."
"If you're serious about this, hon, then I approve of it. Always," Carl nodded as Sandra nodded and ran out of the room before making her way to the lobby and ducked into a bathroom stall as she rolled her sleeve up to reveal her bracelet and she closed her eyes.
"Here goes nothing," she said. "Let's see if I still know how to do this."
She pressed a button on the bracelet and was engulfed in a flash of red light.
The six teens ran through the streets, past the flashing cameras and reporters as they ran up to Big Ben to see a female alien in the shadows of Big Ben as she stepped out, seeming to be made entirely of metal with a few spikes sticking out of her head, resembling hair as Ben and Jen slightly paled.
"Zirconia, I presume?" Jen asked.
"That would be me," the metallic alien said, her arms sharping into spikes as she cracked her joints as the twins nodded.
"Look, we just want to help-" Jen said before she backed away, dodging Zirconia's wipes before she pushed her back with a mana pulse from her hands, sending her flying back, before she righted herself in the air and she was sent skittering back as she and Ben prepared their Ultimatrixes.
"Feisty one, ain't she?" Kevin asked as he pressed a hand to the concrete and coted himself in it.
"What the hell is wrong with this girl?" Becky asked, suiting up into Huntress and activating her armored form as her sister followed suit.
"Well, whatever's wrong with her, she's clearly prepared to fight us and cause chaos in the streets," Lucky Girl said.
The twins nodded as they slammed their cores down and transformed into...
"RATH!"
"Kung Fang!"
"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, ZIRCONIA! NO ONE ATTACKS RATH'S FAMILY AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!"
"Tough, kitty," Zirconia chuckled as she started bobbing and weaving around the kids as Huntress parried all her blows with her spear, before sliding on her knees under a swipe as Kevin ran in. "As long as I'm on this planet and Aggregor doesn't have me, I can do whatever I want!"
Kevin ran in and slammed his mallet hands together, blocking metal alien's blows with them before he kicked her in the head as Lucky Girl jumped up and fired several mana bolts at her as she blocked everything by morphing her arms into shields as she dodged and ot to Matter Girl, who absorbed some material from the Big Ben and ran in, blocking everything with her metal body before she grabbed her by the neck and shocked her with the energy she absorbed from a power line.
Zirconia only got up and chuckled lightly at them as she smiled, recovering quickly as Rath ran in and delivered several punches at her as she2 took them like a champ and naked her body around his neck, slamming him into the ground with only her legs as he groaned out.
"You're next, pinkie."
"Well, it turns out one of the guys Aggregor captured is actually a bad person," Kung Fang chuckled, spinning her swords. "Okay, we are so arresting you after we get you away from Aggregor."
"You'll never get the chance!" Zirconia shouted, running and leaping in the air after extending her hands into wicked claws, leaping into the air and slashing at the Chirropterran... but the blow never came.
Kung Fang opened her eyes to see a blonde woman blocking Zirconia's claws with a shield and she slammed her in the face with her shield before sending her flying back with a swipe from her sword.
Rath recovered as he got up... and his and his sister's jaws immediately dropped once they saw who the woman was.
Standing before them was their mother, clad in red and silver armor with metal gauntlets and boots on her hands and feet, a red and silver chest plate that had the royal crest of Cinnibar with the red dragon and black tiger circling in a yin-yang symbol and a massive shield with the same symbol and a mighty sword in her hands as she chuckled at her twin kids.
"M-M-Mom?" Kung Fang stuttered out as she witnessed the new getup Sandra had, the rest of the Omni-Team just as amazed at what they were seeing as Sandra shrugged.
"Aunt Sandra?" Lucky Girl and Huntress asked.
"Technically, it's Dame Sandra Tennyson," Sandra said with a sigh. "Guess I have a lot of explaining to do after this, huh?"
"You bet you do, Sandra Tennyson," Rath said as he righted himself and he and Kung Fang moved to their mother.
"You know how to fight, Mom?" Kung Fang asked, baffled beyond belief. "All this time and after we were grounded, you knew how to fight?"
"Of course I know how to fight," Sandra said. "I mean, what knight doesn't know how to fight?"
"You're a knight?" Rath asked as he and his sister looked at the crest on her armor... and immediately remembered that the crest matched the tattoo that their mentor had on her right shoulder. "And one for Cinnibar?"
"I promise I'll explain everything later. After I help you bring this alien down. It's about time I try to help you on one of your missions when I know I have the ability to."
"Okay," Kung Fang before smirking. "But first, how about a little upgrade?"
She then slammed her Utimatrix core, which grew four spikes, morphing her into...
"Ultimate Kung Fang!" she said with a backflip, merging her swords into one powerful blade, looking to Sandra awkwardly, ears flattening against her head as her mother banged her sword against her shield with a glare at their opponent as Zirconia looked up and chuckled.
"You hurt my babies," Sandra said. "Very bad idea."
"I don't care what prison you guys plan. I am not being held captive by anyone again!" Zirconia shouted.
"I'd like to see you try," Rath growled as he cracked his knuckles.
"For the glory of Cinnibar!" Sandra shouted, rushing forwards as she dodged and blocked every swipe that Zirconia sent at her with her shield before she swung it back at her, stunning her with the shield before she started clashing her sword against the psychotic Andromeda Alien's blows before she sent a kick to her head, staggering her before she slashed her across the chest before she bashed her in the face with her shield with a shout of effort.
Rath unsheathed his claws and started brawling with the alien, sending her staggering through it all before he leaped up and started executing his wrestler moves on her.
"POLARIS PILEDRIVER! ANTARIANA ARM BAR! OPHIUCHUS FACE PLANT! SIRIUS BUTT-KICKING!"
As the last move connected with the metal girl's rear, she was met with an exploding kunai when it hit the round, sending her back as Ultimate Kung Fang flew in, her wings allowing her to spin around her long katana and simply gave a mighty slash that was only seen as a white slash over a black screen before she separated her katanas and sheathed them, Zirconia shouting out in pain as she fell to the ground, fainting as the twins transformed back and smiled.
"I'm calling the Plumbers," Matter Girl said. "They'll ship her to Incarcecon and she'll be out of our hair."
"Great," Jen said as the twins looked at their mother, who sheathed her weapons on her back and ran a hand through her hair with a chuckle. "Because we've got bigger issues to deal with."
"But first..." Ben and Jen said as they activated that one feature on their Ultimatrixes, scanning Zirconia with a smile.
"Uncatalogued DNA Sample now scanned and ready for transformation. You know, we could do this on our own, you two," Trixie said with a smile.
"That would affect our ability to fight at the time," Ben said.
"That is... true," Omni admitted before he and Trixie vanished into the Ultimatrixes.
"Mommy?" Emma asked from the bed as all of the hotel room's occupants looked on at Sandra, still clad in her knight armor, twiddling her fingers with a sigh.
"Sandra?" Carl asked his wife, stunned at her current attire. "What's going on here?"
"I didn't want you all to know until the time was right," Sandra said in the hotel room as everyone nodded and Jen examined the royal guard outfit she was wearing, especially the chestplate which was emblazoned with the royal crest of Cinnibar as she closed her eyes.
"Okay, Mom," Jen said. "Just tell us the truth."
"Our secret's been out for a month now," Ben smiled. "Now it's time for yours."
"Okay, here's the truth," Sandra said, vibrating her lips. "Ben, Jen, I've told you a bit about my past and I promise, I've told you the truth... but I may not have told you all of the truth."
"Okay... what's up, honey?" Carl asked as Sandra sighed.
"So are you, you know..." Emma asked.
"I'm not an alien, don't worry. I'm still very much a human. It's just that I'm originally from Cinnibar, Earth-135" Sandra revealed. "For a long time I was the captain of the royal guard for Queen Scarlett. Graduated top of my class."
"But you said that your mom told you that being a cop was too dangerous," Jen remembered.
"She did. But it didn't stop me. I told you she was right because I knew how dangerous it was first hand," Sandra explained. "I worked my way up the ranks of the royal guard of Cinnibar until I eventually became captain. And if the fight earlier today was any indication, I think I've still got it."
"But if you're from Cinnibar, how did you come to this dimension and become our mother?" Emma asked.
"I was getting to that. You know that movie, The Terminator? It's kind of like that. I was one of Scarlett's most trusted soldiers who wasn't directly involved with the Scarlet Army. I fought in many battles with her. I was one of the people she trusted the most. When she was given the assignment from the Protectors to watch over the then-unborn Ben and Jen Tennyson because of the prophesized return of the Master Spark, she sent me to Earth-262 to guard the man who would be their father from Vilgax or any other threats. So I did without question. My loyalty to my queen is unwavering."
"And you fell in love with him in the process," Jen realized as Gwen and Becky 'awwed' at the romantic story.
"Yep. So we dated for a few years and eventually got married and I had you two. And then Emma ten years later," Sandra smiled. "I settled down and told Scarlett I was retiring so I could try to give my new family a normal life. But I guess the family history caught up with us since you found the Omntrixes back then."
"I guess your family is more connected to Scarlett and Cinnibar than we thought," Gwen said as Ben, Jen and Emma only smiled and hugged their mother.
"We don't care that you're not from this Earth, Mom," Ben said. "It only makes you more awesome to us than you already were."
"I knew you'd understand."
"You should," a calming voice said as they looked to the balcony to see the Queen of Cinnibar step in with a soft smile as she nodded at seeing Sandra back in her old knight armor.
"Your Majesty," Sandra realized, dropping to one knee and bowing to Scarlett.
"At ease. You've done a great job watching over them, Sandra," Scarlett smiled. "I wish I could've done it myself, but I have duties to the Protectors and to Cinnibar."
"Did you know your best knight would become the mother of the two you were assigned to look over?" Ben asked.
"To be honest with you, no," Scarlett said. "I'm not that good. She was just the one I selected to watch over your father. I had no idea she would actually fall in love with him. But I guess that just gives me more of an excuse to be your guardian and your mentor."
"My Queen," Sandra said with a nod as she rose and joined her husband on the bed. "You have done so much for our kids. And the multiverse."
Scarlett smiled as she gestured Sandra to rise to her feet with a smile, brushing her boot across the ground. "Aw, stop it. You're making me blush."
"You've always been there for our kids and for their friends. You've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're willing to do anything for them." Carl nodded as Emma walked up to Scarlett and hugged her leg as the warrior queen smiled and picked her up, letting her the little Anodite hybrid hug her by the neck.
"You leave us no alternative," Sandra agreed as Scarlett smiled, knowing what was coming as Ben, Jen and Emma looked on with wide eyes, knowing what had to be coming. "Ben, Jen, Emma, meet your new godmother."
"Yes!" Jen cheered as she and Ben ran up to hug Scarlett, officially welcoming her to the family as the warrior queen only smiled and hugged the three Tennyson kids back.
"'Bout time," Ben said as Emma hugged the queen tightly.
"We love you, Scarlett," Emma said as Scarlett nodded.
"And I love you guys," Scarlett smiled.
A few days later at Buckingham Palace, the twins stepped up to the carpet, walking up to the Queen's throne before they both looked to each other and nodded, ignoring the flashing cameras and overlapping chatter as they both immediately dropped to one knee and bowed their heads in respect as the queen stepped up to them with a warm smile before taking out her sword and tapped both twins shoulders with it before sheathing it.
"For your services to the universe and the Earth, I hereby dub thee Sir Benjamin Kirby Tennyson and Dame Jennifer Heather Tennyson."
The crowd erupted in applause as the twins got up and Ben shook the Queen's hand and Jen gave her a quick hug as they walked to their team and family and congratulations were immediately in order.
Up in space, on the Plumbers transport ship heading for Incarcecon, everything was going smoothly... and then, disaster.
A laser blast pretty much decimated the entire ship on impact, killing almost everyone on board, except for the metallic alien who was suspended in stasis for security reasons.
Zirconia then came too.. and saw that she was stuck inside an unbreakable tube and she looked to see five other familiar Andromeda aliens surrounding her as she banged against the tube in anger as Aggregor only smiled evilly at her.
"Welcome back, Zirconia. Hope you enjoy your stay."
Next time on Ben and Jen 10:
Too Hot to Handle