Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ben stumbled towards the crater. How did it come towards him again? He slowly made his way into the crater, and stared at the pod.

"This is so weird." He muttered, and in a flash of green light, the pod opened revealing a watch. "What's a watch doing in space?" He muttered, and reached out his left hand.

As it clamped onto his wrist, and he started to shake it around. "GET IT OFF ME!"

Ben stared into the campfire he started, as the forest quietly smoldered behind them. So many plants and trees dead... Backfire... He shuddered and a bit of fire leaked off his shoulder and hit the fire, sending it burning brighter.

He... He'll just wait to return to normal. (Normal isn't much better, is it?) He'll wait to be Ben again.

He just... He'll be normal again soon! Yeah! Back to Ben, back to normal.

Gwen just stayed silent after the pizza face comment. "You're really freaked by this, aren't you?"

"How'd you feel if you suddenly a walking talking campfire? That you can shoot fireballs from your fingertips? That... That even your footsteps, could set everything on fire." Ben asked.

"... I'd feel like I'm walking next to a sleeping bull in a china shop, dressed in all red." Gwen admitted.

And then Ben's weird symbol on his chest started to blink red, with a sound that (Despite none of them knowing yet), Ben was going to be all to familiar with, and come to dread.

Ben looked around as Grandpa walked away towards where the site of the crash was, and he walked around to the back of the RV. He wished he'd grabbed a hoodie before leaving, he didn't realise he'd be outside at night.

He tried tapping the weird face of the watch, and then tried turning it. Nothing. Not even a blink. The green on the sides an almost taunting colour. He then pressed the button. And the rim popped up.

"Woah..." He breathed, and twisted the dial. He stopped on one that looked... Different.

It looked... Odd. Its legs, if those were legs, were too thin, and it had two arms with claws on the end, and a weird... mask hair thingy on its head.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gwen asked appearing beside Ben, causing him to slam down on the popped dial with a yelp.

In a flash of green light, Ben had turned into something... odd.

It looked like a ghostly girl with long grey hair, and one uncovered eye, that was mostly black with a pink eye in the middle. Her 'dress' was mostly grey with the same black crack-scars, hiding her sleeved arms that lead to four fingers with black nail. In the middle of her chest, there was a simple white hourglass in a black circle, nestled between what Ben could only assume were... Nope. Don't think about that. Her tail, was split in twine, and seemed to have been done a while ago, and while it tried to join back together, but it didn't work, so Ben just made them wrap around each other.

"Hah! This one looks girly!" Gwen laughed a bit. "So, what's this one like?"

"Floaty." Ben whispered and then floated into the RV, and out again. "I'm ghostly."

"So what? Ghost-Man? You called the other one Heatblast." Ben could almost feel an inquisitive feeling at that. "So what's this one's name?" Gwen asked. Ben couldn't really tell.

"... Ghostfreak?" Ben tried in his whispery voice. "Sounds heroic, right?"

"Yeah, and he's half-blind-" Gwen cut herself off as Ben moved the hair from the other side of his face, where a smaller crack in the skin under the eye was, and then let the hair back down. "He's not blind, but how do you see?"

"... Hair isn't that opaque." Ben stated, not correcting Gwen on the gender. "I can still see from under it pretty well."

"That's so we- You shouldn't have done this, Grandpa told you not to mess with the watch!" Gwen said, correcting herself from being fascinated to being angry.

"Yeah~" Ghostfreak purred. "No." Ben flew off into the forest, looking for something fun. She- He didn't want to be around Gwen right now.

He just floated around, and then placed down one of the weird tail leg thingies, but he felt pain spike up it, and he quickly yanked it back up. "Ok, so not legs." He muttered, coiling them back around each other. "A tail?" He moved it up and poked it. "Feels... Weird." He looked around, and went through a tree. "So, ghost powers... Maybe..." He tried to see if he could go invisible.

He could. Which was handy, because a weird UFO thingy immediately came into the forest, with three others. He huffed, and flicked his hair away from his left eye. "Ok, let's get to it." He said, as he could somehow... feel these things were bad news.

In an instants his fingers turned into claws, and he didn't even really feel his hands change. They were now pure black and almost like knives if anything. He ripped open one of the robots, and then tore into another, before breaking off the weird laser thingy the third had. A fourth came up behind him, and while felt himself go intangible, he heard something smash it into the ground.

"Back off sparky, no one's blasting my cousin!" Gwen said standing there with a shovel. The fourth looked like it was about to blast her, and Ben's arm smashed into it, and pulled out it's wires. He didn't even mean to do that.

"Uh... Ok." He shrugged it off, and floated down to Gwen.

"You ok?" He asked her.

"Yeah... What the hell, I thought this one was a normal one." Gwen said. "How's you do that?"

"A mix intangibility and enhanced abilities." Ghostfreak's voice spoke without Ben's input. He paused. "I assume." He added himself. That's odd.

"Ok...?" Gwen nodded. "Since when did you use words like Assume?"

"Hey, I'm lazy, not dumb." Ben defended.

"Mhm." Gwen hummed unbelieving. "Sure, Ben. Sure." Ben felt confusion, but not from himself. And then the watch started to beep slower than Heatblast, and then he turned back to normal.

"Huh, weird." He muttered looking the watch, a harsh red. "Why'd you take longer that time?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Last time, with Heatblast, the five beeps were fast. This time... it was longer, like ten seconds."

"Huh, weird." Gwen muttered, then shook her head. "Don't make me interested! You shouldn't have done that!"

"And be a sitting duck for those robots?" Ben asked.

"... Fine, you win this round." Gwen sighed. "Let's go wait for Grandpa."

Max walked into the RV, and Gwen was glaring at Ben, who was currently turning the dial of the watch.

"So, Heatblast is fire, Ghostfreak is a ghost, go figure... Maybe this spikey thing is like, made of rock?" Bens aid, showing Gwen the silhouette. "And I think this one has four arms, so he must be strong, right~?"

"Urgh! Stop it!" Gwen said. Then she paused. "Wait, how does that even... How would four arms even work? Is it under the armpits? On the side of their torso? Out of their back? And the spikey one... Seems pretty muscley? Maybe it's got armor? The ghost thingy seemed to have a cloak"

"That was skin." Ben said.

"Gross!" Gwen made a disgusted face.

"We shed about that much just in a day, Gwen. it's usually just small." Ben shrugged.

"... How'd you know that?" Gwen asked, looking grossed out.

"Read it somewhere, Oh, hi Grandpa!" Ben smiled at him.

"... While that was very... interesting." Necrofriggian or Ectonurite? 'Heatblast' was a Pyronite, and the 'four armed one' was a Tetramand. All... 'Good' transformations for protections, but... Max had a funny feeling Ben wouldn't be playing it safe. "What are you two doing? Did you use the watch again?"

"Once." Gwen stated.

"Urgh, tattle tale!" Ben said offended. "Besides, I saved our butts, didn't I?"

"From what?" Max asked.

"Weird UFO robot thingies." Gwen sighed. "And yeah, you did. But... They seemed to mainly focus on you."

"Maybe they were looking for this thing?" Ben asked, holding his arm up. "... They probably weren't alone." Ben muttered, and then Max's radio went off.

"... You're not going to believe this, but a giant robot!" A man's voice came over the radio.

"We've gotta help." Ben said, and Max felt like it was going to be a long summer.

"Uh, doofus? How?" Gwen hissed. "Ghostfreak isn't big, and unless you're going to turn the giant bot into a scrapheap-" Gwen got cut off.

"Then a new one could work." Ben said with a glare. "I'm not going to let people get hurt, I'm not running." Ben said, eyes almost glowing. Actually, Max thinks that they ARE glowing. "Never."

Unlike the other two, Ben could FEEL this transformation. His bones and skin turned to pure crystal, and his body got taller and buffer. He felt things shift, crack and change and when it finished, he was now a giant walking hunk of crystal.

"Who's this guy?" He asked, and looking in the mirror of the RV. Yellow eyes stared back, and blue crystal shimmered. "He's pretty shiney" He raised an arm. Starting from his head, it was mostly blue, and along his arms it went from the same blue, and faded in colour, until the tips of the fingers ended in a very nice pink. "And Diamond-headed?" He muttered.

"So, what's this one do?" Gwen asked, and Grandpa hesitated for a split second.

"No clue. Very... Different." He said, staring at the arms.

"Yeah, not sure what to think... Probably strong though." Ben said, and then looked towards the giant robot. "I'm going to go punch it to death."

"Can you 'kill' a robot? Or just deactivate it?" Gwen asked.

"Er... I'll go deactivate it. The hard way." Diamondhead said, smacking a fist into the other hand's palm.

"Be Careful dweeb. I don't wanna have to put you together with glue!"

Ben blinked awake, and immediately looked to his wrist, and snuck out of the camper.

He dialed around the watch, looking at all the different forms. A weird dog looking thing, a bug, and the previously mentioned four-armed guy. He then dialed around to a raptor looking thing.

"Well, if in doubt, go for the dino." He muttered, before pressing down gently.

In an instant, like the first two and unlike Diamondhead, Ben didn't feel this one. He could feel the way his limbs were now, and the fact that he's around the same height as when he's human, but more hunched over made him feel weird. Was he the same age in this body? What was up with Diamondhead then? Is it ageless?

Would make sense... His face felt like it was in a helmet, but he somehow knew it was part of his head, and he flicked a mask down, and then back up. His tail swished, and he clenched his claws, and then scratched at a tree, and the bark came right off. HIs moved his feet, and saw balls on them, being held there by some feet-claws.

"This one's cool." He said, and then watched a leaf fall in slow motion, until it went back to normal. "Super-Speed? Neat." He then laughed, as he took off towards Bellwood. He's lucky they didn't get far yesterday, considering his time limit.

In seconds he found Cash and JT walking in the street, moving in slow motion. He chuckled and grabbed them by their underwear, and dragged them to the tree he'd been hung up from the previous day, and left them there, saluted the Bully Flag™, and then rushed back to the RV.

He heard Grandpa ask, "Where's Ben?"

"Right here." Ben said, skidding to a stop, looking around the campsite. "Need a hand?" He then quickly moved everything into the RV, and then paused to look out at the sky.

"This one's fast." Gwen said. Grandpa was just staring in slight shock, like it was... different, or younger than he was expecting. "What're ya calling him?" She asked, grabbing a notebook, and Ben could see some names and sketches in it.

"... XLR8." He said quickly. Gwen raised an eyebrow. "X, L, R, 8." He repeated slower.

"Oh, that's cleaver." She muttered, then shook her head. "Stop making me agree with you."

"No~" XLR8 chuckled, and that caused Ben to pause. Did he mean to say that? Then the watch started to beep.

Five quick beeps later, and Ben was back. "This is going to be a great summer!"

Chapter Text

Ben looked around the store, and then started to dial around the watch. "Ghostfreak can peak into these boxes, and not be seen." He muttered, pressing down the button. In a flash, the ghost girl was back, and Ben looked into the first box, and nothing.

Third and seventh, nothing.

The fifteenth, was a yes. She pumped her fist, and then grabbed the box, and then put it down again, remembering what she- HE currently looked like. He pressed the Watch Face on his chest, (Ignoring what it was nestled between, because that was... Yeah, no. No thanks, no thoughts please) and reverted back to normal, and THEN picked up the cereal.

"Ok, I watched that all play out, really Ben?" Gwen sighed tiredly. "You seriously turned into an alien, for some cardboard?"

"Hey, I didn't hurt anyone, and it's harmless." Ben defended. Gwen just sighed tiredly. "Besides, the cereal's kinda... y'know?" He said, placing it back down. "It's mainly the card I want."

"... That just makes this worse. Besides, isn't your watch timed out now?" Gwen asked. "What if something bad happens?"

"To be fair, what would hap-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ANIMO NAME IS BARRED FROM ALL PET STORES!?" A girl's voice yelled from the pet section.

"Why does this place even have a pet section?" Ben asked.

"To be fair, it is one of the biggest stores in the entire US-" Gwen then cut herself off. "I mean, what kind of person get's their family banned from all pet-stores."

"TAKE THIS BITCH!" The girl yelled, and then a giant hamster charged out of the pet section.

"You were saying?" Gwen asked.

"Less talking, more running for our lives!" Ben scolded her before picking up a helmet and a dropped scooter. "When I say go, head for Grandpa."

"Uh-"

"GO!" Ben said, before taking off back towards the giant Hamster. A quick glance at his watch showed it was glowing again. "Not a time-out? Weird. Actually... How'd I know how to do that?" He asked as he rammed into a shelf, causing it to topple onto the hamster mutant thingy.

"That's how you do it." Ben breathed heavy, and then clutched his left arm. "Sh- Shit." He hissed. "That hurts..."

"A... kid." A girl that didn't look that much older than Ben said, her hair messy and black, and her clothes dirty. "A kid took down the Hamster?" She then looked at Ben's hurt arm. "Aww crap." She then rushed away, grabbing a single battery on the way out.

"Ben, are you-" Gwen started.

"Need..." Ben grunted, and forced his right arm to push his left arm into himself, and felt something pop, and then he screamed in pain, causing everyone to stare at him in horror, before he breathed heavy for a few seconds, and then slowly moved his arm. "Better." He said, rolling his shoulder.

"What in the-" An adult started, before being cut off.

"Are you ok?" A woman in a blue uniform asked, as a med-kit was placed beside Ben. Ben glanced around. Judging from the Sun, it's been a few hours.

"What..." He glanced around again, and Gwen and Grandpa were waiting at another... ambulance? Was he in an ambulance?

"Can you tell me your name there sweetpea?" The woman asked kindly.

"B- Be- Be-" Ben could barely stutter his name out.

"Bea?" The woman asked. Ben nodded, close enough he guessed. "Well honey, can you tell me how old you are?"

"Ten." Ben said, easier this time.

"Mhm. Can you tell me what happened little one?" The lady asked.

"Giant Hamster." Bea said. "I crashed into the shelf, dislocated left arm, popped it back in."

"You- Yourself?" The woman asked stunned. Bea nodded her head. "... Ok hon, can you wait a few minutes to talk to your grandpa? I'll be right back, ok honey?" Bea nodded her head again.

Bea didn't even notice her leaving or returning. "Ok hon, I don't think anything is that wrong with you, and since your grandfather said that you'll be fine, you're ok to go without the Hospital if you want."

"I don't want to be a bother." Bea said, and then walked over to Gwen and Grandpa. "Thank you." She then got into the RV, and sat in the booth.

"Are you ok Be-?" Gwen asked. Bea nodded. "Ok..."

Ben blinked awake. "We're here. The apartment of one, Dr, Aloysius James Animo." Max said, and flipped down a weird monitor from the dashboard. Ben nodded, and exited the RV, and looked at the front.

"Either I'm going insane, or this wall was smashed by a frog." Ben said, as the lifeless body of a frog was in the wall of the apartment.

"Maybe both." Gwen muttered. "And that means I am too."

"No, you're not." Max sighed, and poked it, and a kicked leg sent Ben flying into a car, denting it hard, and all the glass shattered. "BEN!"

"Ow." Ben groaned as he dropped from it, and breathed heavy for a few seconds, then got back up. "I'm ok. I'm ok." He waved off Grandpa. "Urgh, this thing kicks hard." Ben said, pocking the leg that hit him.

"Ok, are you even human anymore?" Gwen asked.

"..." Ben just shrugged, and crawled onto the frog, then into the building, and then opened the door. "Come on in." He said to the two. As they entered, Ben looked at a photo of a weird old guy with a young boy that had the face cracked. "I've got a bad feeling." Knowing what the girl looked like, and the boy looked similar.

"Huh, I wonder what Dr Animo was doing with all this junk." Gwen said, picking something up, which Grandpa made her put down right away.

"We don't know what these things can do." Grandpa warned. "Don't touch anything, Gwen."

"Oh, so I'm ok to touch the Murder Ray?" Ben asked.

"You'll probably be fine Ben." Grandpa said. "Now, look for clues."

"Does this mean I'm Scooby?" Ben asked, eyes half-lidded.

"More like Shaggy." Gwen said with a smirk.

"Says you, Velma." Ben shot back.

"You take that back right now you piece of-" They started to wrestle slightly, before Grandpa pulled them apart.

"No fighting." He told them. "And look." A trophy? No... A picture of a trophy, and of a part of it saying Animo lost the prize, and that his son was taken away from him and placed into foster care... No mentions of a sister?

Then why did that girl look so much like this boy's sister? Why was she using Animo's tech? Why did she use his last name? What's going on here?

"Something wrong?" Gwen asked in a hushed tone.

"No." Ben lied. "Nothing's wrong. Come on, we've got a creep to beat... And I think I know where they've gone." He said, looking at a poster saying that the Dino Exhibit was now open for the summer. With real Dino Bones.

Hell. Sounds Fun.

Ben hid behind a wall as a roar was heard. "Oh come on." Ben groaned. "Why'd you have to go an revive a Dino? Damnit, that's cool!" He said, while dialing around to Diamondhead. "Going Hero!" He said, before slapping down.

And then Ghostfreak was in his place, and she instantly turned invisible. Err, he did? She did? What.. Why... Urgh... No... Can't...

Ghostfreak blinked as she was suddenly in control. What? Why... She could feel... two more? Not just her? That's... Weird... Come on, wake up... Ben... WAKE UP!

With a slap of the Omnitrix, a four armed hulking red figure stood in her place, and he grinned. "Four arms, double the punching!" Ben said as he rushed towards the girl and her Dinosaur Zombie. Zombisaur!

"Come get some!" He yelled, before slamming two fists into the Dino's face, and the girl gasped in shock.

"What in the- You're..." She blinked at him. "... The body doesn't quite match the mind, does it?" She grinned. "Alright~" She then fired a red beam at a mammoth, and the creature came back to life. "Play nice, girls~" She called to them, before leaving.

Ben just blinked. Girls? Did she hit more than one thing? "Oi, peanuts! Over here!" He called out, before punching it in the trunk.

"Damnit." Lucy hissed as she dropped to the ground. She slowly looked up at the weird bug creature. "My dad would have loved to meet you."

"Yeah? Well, sounds like a right ol' guy." The bug said with a shrug, and then gently held out a hand. "Are you ok?"

"Mhm." Lucy took it, and was helped to her feet. "Thanks... Why are you helping me?"

"Because I don't think you quite... Exist here." The bug smiled sadly. "Who was the boy?"

"... Someone I'd quite like to leave behind." Lucy said, brushing herself off. "And your... 'human' form?" She asked.

"Still me. So's Stinkfly, Four Arms, Heatblast and the rest." The bug thingy said, before turning back into the human. "I'm Ben, Ben Tennyson." He (Lucy could have sworn this was a girl, and... The longer hair? It's close to hitting their neck, and their face is cute, and they're just... smol), said with a soft smile. "It's nice to meet you..."

"Lucy. Lucy Animo." She said softly, shaking his hand. "You're just letting me go?"

"You're looking for your dad, right? I'm not going to stop you." Ben stated. "So get going, Lucy, before I change my mind." Lucy nodded, and grabbed her power-source, leaving everything else.

She wonders why the kid just let her go... But she's not going to complain, not really... Does he feel safe, or is she just not reading them right?

Maybe she should... Look out for them, yeah! That's a great idea!

Chapter Text

Ghostfreak breathed as she laid on the bottom of the ocean. She stretched, and looked around. It felt like space. Like home. Barely any light, almost pure darkness... She loves this. So much.

"BEN! BEN!" The girl's voice yelled out. Ghostfreak rolled her eyes, and floated up to the surface. "There you are!"

"Sorry." Ghostfreak whispered out.

"It's fine, just... Why were you down there?" Gwen asked quietly.

"... Soothing." Ghostfreak admitted, looking to the sky of stars. "Quiet."

"Oh." Gwen sat down on the pier. "... Yeah, I guess it would be, wouldn't it?"

And both Ghostfreak and Gwen just sat there for a few minutes. Just... Watching the sky.

Ben blinked awake the next morning. "Urgh." He sat up, and looked over at Gwen. "Mornin'."

"Morning." She said back. "You ready for fishing?"

"..." Ben just gave her a long suffering look. "Are you joking, Gwen? Me? Sitting around for hours while waiting for something to happen?"

"... Yeah no, I'm gonna be bored too." Gwen admitted. "Crap."

"Crap." Ben agreed, nodding. "Urgh, I'd even take that Animo g-unk right now."

"What was that stutter?" Gwen asked with a giggle. "But yeah, I'm with you on this one."

"Come on you two, I've got the boat." Grandpa said, and then looked slightly irritated. "And the captain."

"As if I'd trust a random person with my boat." What was probably the captain said from out of view. Ben and Gwen just gave each other long suffering looks.

"So, this is..." Ben trailed off.

"Boring?" The man laughed. "You got that right. Why'd your gramps even take you girls out on the water?"

"Dunno." Ben shrugged, while Gwen shot him an odd look. "I don't like fishing."

"Hah, I understand that." The man nodded. "Too much waiting, too much not in your power?" Ben nodded again. "Yep, stick it to the old people kid, teenage rebellion."

"We're ten." Gwen said with a poke to Ben's arm for some reason.

"Eh, close enough." The man shrugged.

"And aren't you old people?" Ben asked with a grin.

"Oh quiet kid." The man sighed out. "The hell?" He asked, looking at the blockade.

"Sorry folks!" The cheerful man said on one of the boats. "Lake's closed due to poaching."

"Bullshit, ain't no one come out here often!" The captain yelled back. "It's secluded from everything, and there's plenty o' fish!"

"Hey, dweeb, why didn't you correct him?" Gwen asked quietly, as Max and the Captain argued with the FOF man.

"Correct him about what?" Ben asked confused, fiddling with his watch.

"About calling you a girl." Gwen hissed. "What are you even doing?"

"Looking for something that can sneak onto the boat." Ben admitted, ignoring what he didn't want to think about. "See what's really going on?"

"How about this one." Gwen said, dialing back the watch one space.

"Stereotypical alien." Ben said, and then shrugged. "Why not?" A push down, and a tiny alien that was mostly grey with big green eyes and a small black and white jumped as now barely above Gwen's knee. "I'm tiny, and sticky." He said, running up the side of the boat, and rushing over to the FOF boat. "See you soon!"

Greymatter walked on the ceiling, hoping to god that like in all the movies, no one looks up.

He saw a camera look right at his, but nothing happened, so he glanced into the monitor room, and saw a person watching Lion King.

He had to admit, not a bad choice. Also, he alien he was seemed... Smarter? He can't quite explain it. He's always had a good memory, and good at analysing things, but... It's like it's heightened to its absolute peak. He could look a computer, and see what keys were used the most, he could remember the code he used on his lock three years ago.

He calmly headed over to a crate, and pried it open slightly. "Eggs?" He hissed, looking in with wide eyes. "This is why they closed off the lake... There's either an alien or a cryptid in there... And they've been stealing eggs." He growled, and then jumped up to the ceiling. "I'm getting outta here, and going Heatblast on these shitheads." He ranted quietly to himself, as he made his way out.

"I'm gonna kill 'em." Ben hissed, dialing around his watch.

"No, you're going to scare them. And release the eggs back into the water." Gwen corrected.

"That's a better plan." Ben conceded. "What alien?"

"The fishy one?" Gwen grinned. "Give 'em PTSD."

"Oh~ I can see why people think we're twins." Ben chuckled, dialing around to the correct alien.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Grandpa asked, stepping out of the RV.

"About to release some stolen eggs." Ben and Gwen said in unison.

"There aren't laws about Alien Eggs." Grandpa said.

"... Why do you know that?" Gwen asked.

"And it isn't an Alien, it's a Cryptid." Ben corrected.

"Ok, how do you know that." Gwen stressed. Ben just shrugged.

"In any case, you are not going to-" He was cut off by a flash of light, and a weird looking fish alien was in Ben's place. "Damnit Ben!"

"Ripjaws." Ripjaws corrected. He has a weird white armour piece over his chest (Ignore the slight raise Ben.) And black glove like armour on his wrists, and a weird 'Pteruges' looking thing around his waist, and two legs with two claws on the feet, with webbing between them. His hands were claw like, with webbing in them, and seaweed like 'wing fins' on his arms, just above the 'gloves'. The Omnitrix nestled on his collar, and some shoulder-guards also in black, that also covered his back. His eyes were a glowing dark pink, with some seaweed like hair on his head, barely reaching his whiskers on the sides, and a angler on his forehead, that had a glowing blue light. He was also more around Gwen's height.

And then Ben backflipped into the water, and took off fast.

"... Hey, quick question, aren't Anglers a female fish only thing?" Gwen asked, and Max shrugged.

"Hey, I don't know everything kiddo."

Ripjaws turned around, and saw a giant Kraken. "Hi!" He waved. "I'm trying to get your eggs back!"

"Swim away, young one." The Kraken said kindly, a tendril gently patting Ripjaw's head. "I noticed that symbol on that ghost girl. She had not drowned, and felt human. You are fish, and feel human. I assume you are related?"

"... Something like that." Ripjaws shrugged.

"I see. swim away young one, I will not see a little one hurt." The Kraken said with a soft growl. "Not by those thieves."

"And I'm stronger than you think!" Ripjaws said, her voice getting sharper.

"Little one." The Kraken warned. "I will not see you hurt."

"Urgh, I'm not your daughter!" Ripjaws yelled, and Ben KNOWS that wasn't him yelling that this time. "I'm not needing a mother! I'm a grown girl!"

"Still a young girl." The Kraken warned. "And I shall not see a young one harmed."

"You're not the Boss of me." Ripjaws said.

"I am the Mother of this lake, the Queen, if you will, Piscciss Volann." She growled.

"I don't respond well to authority." Ripjaws said. Ben felt very, very weirded out.

"Unusual, for one in the Royal Lineage. Don't assume I didn't notice the, 'bracers' as humans call them. Or the tail. Only the Royals are also Land-walkers."

"I'm not a Royal." Ripjaws said. "I'm barely a Piscciss Volann. I'm human too." Ben WASN'T EVEN TALKING ANYMORE. "Nor am I meant to exist."

"Perhaps not, but you do." The Kraken said simply. "Maybe I have done something, maybe it's just you. I do not know."

"Can... We just get the Eggs back now?" Ben asked, as he struggled to gain control over the body. "I kinda wanna get this over with."

"Ok, young one." The Kraken nodded. "I shall wait."

Ripjaws landed on the desk of the ship.

"What the hell is this thing!?" Someone yelled. A few more quickly rushed for the harpoons.

"No." Ripjaws growled, and rushed the first one, biting the Harpoon in half, and then kicking another into a box, and slammed another two together, before kicking one overboard.

"Christ it's fast!" Another man yelled, and Ripjaws slammed him onto the ship, before she screamed in his face.

This went on for a few minutes, until Ripjaws came across the Box of Eggs. She reached for it, but was grabbed by a weird mech thing.

"Y'know I was saving this to kill the beast below and sell it's body for a profit? Guess I'll be selling you first, freakshow."

"Our name." Ripjaws and Ben growled. "is Ripjaws." She bit the other robot hand hard, and tore. "And you just messed with the wrong Princess, pal!" The two said, their thoughts and emotions and actions, all in unison.

She rip and tore the machine to scrap, and she then lifted the man out by his throat. "Do I tear? Or do I eat?"

"You let him go. What if he survives and claims we're still here, and they nuke the mother?" Ben asked.

"He doesn't deserve life!"

"And what makes you the judge?" Ben asked. Ripjaws paused. "Let him go, we'll claim he's poaching or something. He's got enough weapons that it'll get him arrested."

"Fine. Only for you, Princess." Ripjaws then lowered the man down, who then stabbed her leg with a scrap of metal.

"URGH!" Ben then stomped hard on his hand. "What the hell!?"

"You... Can talk." The man said shocked. "You can-" He lost the ability to speak or open his eyes with a well placed punch from Ripjaws.

"Let's get the Egg home." Ben said.

"Before anything else happens." Ripjaws agreed.

"Thank you, young Royal."

"I'm not royal." Ripjaws corrected, and Ben then spoke. "I'm human. I just have the ability to turn into aliens."

"I see. Well, thank you, human." The mother Kraken bowed. "You shall be revered as a Princess of the Deep by my family for generations."

"It... It was no problem." Ben said, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. He didn't correct the gender. He shouldn't. He can't. (Why didn't it feel wrong?) "Thank you, for giving me a chance, Queen of the Deep."

The Kraken smiled, and gently nudged Ben towards the surface. "I shall go deeper, so they will not find me again. You shall always remain a friend to us, young one." The Kraken then handed Ben a small charm. "This is something I had found a long time ago, when I was a hatchling. You, have earned this." She said, and then grabbed her eggs, and swam deeper.

And then the watch started to beep slowly. Ripjaws took off fast towards the surface, the bangle on her right wrist, and when they breached the surface, Ben was back, with the band still on his wrist, the giant diamond dead center.

"What-" Gwen rushed forwards. "Ben!" She pulled him out.

"I... I think Magic mucks with the watch." He sputtered out, coughing up some water. "Ripjaws... Was talking." He got out.

Don't mention the girl part. Don't mention the royal part. Don't mention the Kraken is able to talk. Don't... Don't tell them. "Got a nice shiny out of it!" He said, holding it up.

"It is very shiny..." Gwen sad. "Wait, is that a diamond?" She asked, grabbing his wrist. "... Isn't it a bit girly for you?"

"Hah, if you wanted it you could have asked, but nah... It's mine." He smiled.

"Did... The Kraken give this to you, or did you find it?"

"She gave it to me." Ben admitted, and rubbed it. "... I actually kinda like it." It's a good reminder. He then glanced at the watch. "Red."

"It's out of juice." She noted.

"Yeah... But didn't that last for a lot longer than usual?" He asked.

"It lasted around that time when you were Ghostfreak last night." Gwen told him.

"...  When I was what?" He hissed in his head. "I didn't... Did I? Maybe I was affected by it all."

"Come on, we better get back to the RV, Grandpa's going to be pissed." Gwen said, and pointed at the boat on fire.

"I... may have forgotten about them." Ben admitted, before the two ran to the RV.

Chapter Text

Ben adjusted the bracelet in front of his Omnitrix, and then pushed his hair back a bit, with it almost hitting his neck now.

"Wow, your hair's getting long. We should probably get it cut soon, huh doofus?" Gwen asked, running her hand through it.

"I... Kinda like it long." Ben admitted with a blush. "And don't do that." He slapped her hand away.

"Yeah yeah." Gwen scoffed. "Come on, Great Aunt Vera is waiting for us."

"Urgh, as long as Clyde isn't here, I'm chill." Ben said.

"What's your problem with Clyde anyway?" Gwen asked.

"So many things. So, so many." Ben gained a long suffering look. "Plus, he always smells like chicken poo."

"Yeah, I get that one." Gwen admitted. She then opened the door to the hot summer heat, and the two looked at Vera's home. "... So many old people."

"Yeah... Come on, let's get inside to air-conditioning." Ben said to his cousin. "And hope she's not as weird as her brother."

Ben ducked down, as he felt something shudder up his body, and turned around. There was an old man looking down at him.

"What is a... Young girl like you doing here in this heat?" He asked.

"My great aunt is talking to my cousin right now." Ben said, and... didn't correct the gender. There was something about this guy... "Just waiting to see her again. After she's got the cheek pinching out of her system."

"Ah, I see." The man said stiffly, and then he walked away, a little... too perfectly. Sure, there was a stumble or a slight limp... But they were spaced too perfectly. Like someone imitating an old man from watching them.

"Ok, either that's a Doubtfire situation, or there's Aliens here." Ben guessed. He then walked to Vera's house. "Well, better not put it off for too long."

Ben slowly walked in, and closed the door behind himself, and Vera was there waiting.

"Oh Be-" She then paused. "..." She turned to Max and Gwen who were in the living room, talking in hushed tones. "... Oh my, I see." She smiled, and Ben just felt more confused. "Do they know honey?" Ben just blinked confused, but she seemed to take that as a 'no'. "Ok then, your secret's safe with me dear." She gently pinched his left cheek, but didn't do any more. "Come on it honey."

Ben was just so, so, so confused.

"So, anything setting off that weird sense you've got." Gwen asked.

"People getting replaced, all of them old... And I think they're nothing human." Ben explained.

"Nope. Leaving this one to you." Gwen admitted.

"They also don't seem to get human genders." Ben muttered, thinking of that strange man.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Gwen."

Ben blinked as he flew around invisible. "Woah, ninja old people." He hissed. "this is so weird... Where are they going?" He muttered, and followed one, that turned her head 180º around to look at where he should be.

"Nothing." It hissed, before moving a giant dumpster to the side, and jumped down into what looks like a mineshaft.

"I'm a ghost, not a tracker." Ben said. (Did he say that? It was true, and he knows this...) "I should get Gwen." (This was definitely him, he can't deny that. The earlier part was him too, probably.) "And then we go together."

"So, a mineshaft, Ninja Old People, and you're going to try and use a new alien? Is it Tuesday?" Gwen snarked. "... Wait, I take that back, it actually sounds like it's Tuesday. What have you done to me?" She asked horrified.

"Stuff it drama queen." The Watch Holder said. "Besides..." He pressed down. "I have a good feeling about this one."

In a flash, a small dog like alien was in Ben's place. it had a mouth with large fangs, and sharp claws. It's coat was a deep muted orange colour with hard fur all over, that softened to fur. It had a small tail that wagged, and it gave a groan, stabbing it's claws into the ground.

"Ben?" Gwen asked shocked. "... Wow, this one's a dog like one." She said, looking around. "Well, at least I can claim I'm walking my dog." Wildmutt nudged her. "Yeah yeah, come on, show me the way, Lassie!"

Wildmutt placed her onto his back, and took off towards where he remembered where the entrance was. "HOW ARE YOU EVEN SEEING!?" Gwen yelled from his back.

Wildmutt growled at the swirling mass that spoke in her grandfather's voice, but wasn't. Not family. Enemy. She kicked it into the wall, and heard a splatter.

"Wh- Ok, so no eyes makes it easier to tell who's who, huh?" Wildmutt nodded at her sister. "Ok, keep going, you got the scent?" A confirming growl. "Get going girl!" Wildmutt bounded off with Gwen on her back, and heard a whoop of joy, causing the Vupimancer to smirk.

In a giant room, Wildmutt listened and scanned the room. Pods, and a lot of them. She slammed her paw onto the shoulder-pauldron she has on her side, and turned back human.

"Woah, didn't know you could do that!" Gwen said shocked.

Ben shook herself off. "It's a new thing." She admitted. "Urgh, XLR8!" She shouted, before the blue speedster was in her place. "Gotta go fast!"

"Copyright." Gwen deadpanned.

"No copyright law in the universe is gonna stop me!" The Speedster grinned, before rushing up the tunnel, and coming back with two giant super-soakers. "I splashed one with water on my way back, these should work."

"Why... Did you assume water?"  Gwen asked.

"Eh, it's the middle of the desert. In the summer." XLR8 said with a shrug. "Either their immune to the heat, or they don't like water. Fifty-Fifty."

"... Yeah, I'm just gonna trust you one this one, and not question it." Gwen said, taking aim at the weird Amoeba thingies.

"Oh, all this heat is really not helping. Maybe I should move back to the other village." Vera said after coming out of her room. Gwen and Ben just exchanged slightly tired looks. It took XLR8 a lot of time to put everyone back, and they weren't light.

"Sounds like a good idea." Grandpa said nodding. He had just been sleeping in the RV, they didn't even try to take him. "Come on kids, we better get going." He said.

"Ben, a word?" Vera said kindly. Gwen and Grandpa went into the RV. "Don't worry honey, I'm sure your parents will accept you, and Max... He's old fashioned, but I'm sure given time he'd understand. And Gwen seems a nice girl." She ruffled Ben's hair that had grown a little more, which caused Ben to look at his watch. It... it glowed an even darker green now, almost greyish if anything. "Don't worry sweetie, ok?"

"Thanks, Great Aunt Vera." Ben said confused. He really didn't know what she was meaning, but... It felt nice, for some reason. "See you later!" He waved, rushing into the now running RV.

Chapter Text

Diamondhead shot five tin cans that dropped down, and then punched back the tire that swung towards him.

"Is this the best you can put together grandpa? Those FOF people were better than this!" Ben taunted.

"Don't get cocky Ben. Even a simple mistake can mean you get hurt. And what if the Watch times out?" Grandpa asked.

"When has it?" Ben asked. "When have I timed out in the middle of a fight?"

"... Well, not that I can remember." Gwen admitted. "Seems like that thing lets them be the aliens for as long as they need to."

"Perhaps, but what if something goes wrong with the watch? That's why we're testing to see how long this device will stay active." Grandpa said.

"Over twenty minutes." Diamondhead muttered bored, before firing a single crystal at three cans flying at him, hitting all.

"Hey, you ok?" Gwen asked, as they took a break. The watch was pure red, and seemed to blink red, meaning it was truly out of power, and it won't be charged any time soon.

"Yeah." Ben nodded. "Just... A little tired. Wanna look around?" He asked.

"Why not?" Gwen shrugged. "It can't be any more dangerous that Vera's retirement village."

"Come on, recharge." Ben muttered, tapping the watch.

"I'm going to go check out that building over there. Come see me when it's charged." Gwen said, leaving Ben alone for a minute.

And then it blinked green. "Finally." He muttered, and dialed around to Ghostfreak. "... Why do I keep going back to you?" He asked, and pressed down gently.

Ghostfreak blinked open her eyes, and floated around. "Odd place." She whispered.

"Wh- What?" Ben asked, having not spoken aloud, nor even thought that.

"Shit."

"Who's there?" Ben looked around, and Ghostfreak floated over to a mirror. "Wait, I'm not doing this!"

"Hush, idiot." Ghostfreak hissed. "Before your grandfather hears us."

"o- Ok?" Ben muttered. "Who... Are you?"

"You know the answer there. You named me."

"Ghostfreak?"

"Yes Ben."

"... How? With Ripjaws, it was because of-"

"The Kraken, correct? I'm... Different to that. It's... Hard to explain."

"Try."

"... Look, Ectonurites, what I am, can come back to life with just a single strand of DNA, either a scrap of skin, or a finger, or even DNA being collected."

"And you came with the watch." Ben looked at Ghostfreak's hands. "Why... Didn't you talk before?"

"Because I was scared."

"Scared?"

"That you'd try and get rid of me." Ben sighed.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because there's already two of you, and you have a sister. So..." Ghostfreak trailed off.

"Two of... What?"

"Never mind. Ben... I... I was ordered here." Ben froze. "To try and get the Omnitrix. What's on your wrist."

"Then why haven't you?" Ben asked.

"... Because you showed me that I could be a hero. That I could help people... And I like doing that." Ghostfreak admitted.

"... What's your name?" Ben asked again.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Ghostfreak gave a soft laugh. "I'm Ghostfreak, someone you can call an ally, and can trust to help save the day."

"... Understood." Ben nodded. "Now, what was that about there being two-" A giant crash was heard, and a weird crab thing burst out of the ground, and an odd purple humanoid flew towards them. "Shit!" He dived under the ground, and rushed away.

Tetrax was having a very, very bad day.

First, Vilgax called, saying he is hiring him again to find the Omnitrix. The most powerful device, and he said it's on earth. Tetrax is praying Max Tennyson has it.

Because heaven help the poor man or woman that currently holds onto the most powerful device in the universe.

He sighed as he walked around.

"What do you mean, by that?" A girl's voice spoke out. Tetrax paused. "Yeah, a Bounty Hunter. Probably has something to deal with Intangibility." The same girl said, but they had a slightly different accent.

Also, it was clearly a universal translator... He... He hasn't heard this language in decades.

"You there." He said, and made a ring around the Ectonurite. "We need to talk."

"Oh great, not another one!" The one with the more vague accent said, while the weird... Was... Was that a human and Ectonurite DNA mix?

"Calm down kid, and stand down." Tetrax said, taking aim with his blaster.

"Oh, you want a fight?" The second voice asked. "Get ready for something different!" A smack to the watch, and a Petrosapien was standing in the girl's place. "Diamondhead? I can work with this." The feminine Petrosapien said before rushing at Tetrax crating a sword with her arm.

"Oh come on." Tetrax muttered, blocking it. "I just want to talk, kid."

"Says the guy attacking me." 'Diamondhead' said with a grunt, before kicking Tetrax away. He noted that the fists were pink, while the head and upper arms were a normal blue. She then turned her fists into crystal spikes, and fired off twenty quickly, before forming them back into swords, and attacking.

"QUIT IT!" Tetrax yelled, and made a giant crystal platform that uppercutted the younger Crystalline. "Now, stay down kid." He said. "And turn back to what your base form is, before I have to rip the Omnitrix off you." A bit harsh, but he knows this isn't Max Tennyson.

"Screw that." Diamondhead grinned. "Thanks to Ghostfreak, I know how to quickchange." And in a flash a Galvanic Mechamorph blobbed out from under the crystals. "And I'm not giving up my watch." It said, before blobbing over to an old abandoned bike. "ooh~" It bonded to the Bike, causing it to shift and change, and... gain a face?

"Now this is cool." It said, flexing some fingers. The lines on it was a very, very grey green, not the vibrant colour on Vilgax's scans. "Now, where were we?" It asked, before turning back into a bike, and speeding away from Tetrax, who pulled out his hoverboard and followed. "Oh man that's cool!" The Galvanic Mechamorph chirped, before speeding off faster.

"Cool." Tetrax huffed, following. "I suppose so."

Ben parked behind a wall, as that crab guy, the weird purple alien and the other Diamondhead guy (Why wasn't he multi-coloured?) all converged on his location.

"Where is it?" The crab asked. "The data shows the Omnitrix is in use here..."

"Maybe look around, instead of just standing there would be a good option." Restore said with a wave of her mechanical hand. "Hi~" She chirped.

"What in the-!" The crab yelled, before getting punched by Restore's fist. The Purple alien just let out a loud sound that was probably a lot of swears in whatever language it spoke. "No one told me about a Transformus!"

"That's because that's the Omnitrix Wielder!" The crystal guy spoke up. "And that isn't a Transformus, it's a Mechamorph!"

"How'd a Mechamorph become a Transformus?" The crab asked. "That doesn't seem that very... possible."

"Hell if I know." Restore shrugged. She then turned back into a bike, and hit the purple guy with her back wheel, sending him flying. "But catch me if you can~" She sped around them, until the crystal guy made another Crystal Bubble around, causing Restore to spin out, and for Ben to crash against the wall of a warehouse.

"Ow." He groaned, before slowly standing up. "Come on..." He muttered as he swayed on his feet, and then found his footing. "My turn." He tapped the button, and the red slowly faded into a greenish grey. "Let's go!" He pressed down as he rushed forwards, and XLR8's feet hit the ground as she sped towards the three bounty hunters. "Too slow!" She laughed, before kicking the weird purple one in the head, before pulling the crab one's feet from behind, with him landing on his face, and then punching the diamond one.

"Faster." She said. "Stronger." She kicked the crab into the air. "And just so much better." She started to run in a circle, causing a tornado to form.

The crab and the purple one hit the ground, barely able to get up. And then the diamond one threw a weird thing, and it captured the two in a cube.

"Was... Was that a Pokeball?" Ben asked, turning back into human with a press on his chest.

"What is a... Pokeball?" The man asked. "Never mind that. Who are you. How did you get, the Omnitrix?"

"It crashed out of the sky." Ben said. "Who are you?"

"I, am Tetrax Shard." Tetrax said. "I was tasked with finding the Omnitrix, and retrieving it... Not for the same reason as these two." He stated.

"Yeah? well, you're not getting it." Ben said defiant, with the silhouette showing Ghostfreak.

"Nor, am I going to try and take it." Tetrax said. "There are many different ways it will try and protect you. Even ways I do not know. I suspect it's in safe hands. May I ask for your name?"

"..." Ben stayed silent for a few seconds. He... He can't... Name... "Ben." He said at last. "Ben Tennyson."

"Are you... perhaps, related to a certain, Max Tennyson?" Tetrax asked.

"Yeah, he's my grandfather." Ben explained, looking away. "So... You're gonna go?"

"Yes. Not much reason to stick around, I suppose." Tetrax noted. "... I shall leave the Omnitrix in your capable hands, Ms Tennyson." Tetrax said, before sending out his hoverboard, and flying away quickly.

Ben just stood there blushing at the, 'Ms Tennyson'. Why... Did that feel good? It's supposed to feel wrong, right? Yeah... Yeah! (Why are you like this?) Ben just started to make his way over to Gwen and Grandpa, who had just come out of the warehouse Gwen had gone into earlier. "I made a friend!" Ben smiled happily.

Chapter Text

Ben gulped as they stopped in front of a circus. "Do... Do we really need to go?" He asked, clutching the watch.

"Yeah, we do." Gwen said with a scoff. "Grandpa's already bought the tickets. So we kinda need to." She groaned.

"Y- Yeah... I'mma check out the fairgrounds." Ben said, dialing around to Ghostfreak. Maybe he can talk to her about his fears?

"You do you." Gwen shrugged. "I'm going to see what this clown is like." Ben almost gave a whimper at that. "... Don't like clowns?" She asked worried.

"Let's just say... First trip to the circus was... a trip." Ben shook his head, and then hopped out the RV. "See you later, Gwen."

Ben moved around, seeing how empty this place was without people. "Man, now I really wish I grabbed a hoodie the last time i was XLR8." He admitted. "At least then I'd have somewhere to put my hands that aren't my shorts."

He looked a ring toss, and then at the prizes. Was it just him, or did they seem to be watching him?

He walked around some more, and looked at more and prizes. Nothing... Seemed special? They seemed basic, like you could find them at any two-bit store, or any circus. But... Why was everything so cheap?

"Good haul today." A woman's voice laughed, and Ben ducked behind a booth. "Good thing everyone's inside."

"Yeah, otherwise we'd be dealin' with angry folk." A big hulking brute said.

"Oh, shut up." An ugly man said, his teeth all almost gone, and his skin flaky and peeling everywhere, especially around his mouth. He didn't even have lips.

"Ok, they're that ugly." Ben groaned, dialing up Wildmutt. "That I don't want want eyes." He pressed down, and the beast of the wilds growled, before she took off to fight the circus freaks.

"What the-" She grinned as they seemed scared. "Who let this mutt off his leash!?" The raspy man asked.

"Her leash." The woman said, and Wildmutt let out a growl of approval and thanks. "Aww, puppy~" She cooed.

"Women." Raspy voice drawled. "Always a softie for the pests."

Wildmutt just growled at that. She isn't a pest! She growled, and rammed him into a car, hearing a nice cracking of glass sound. She didn't hear any breaking of bones, so she's still a good pup!

"Ok, puppy is strong. Noted." The woman said. And then something wrapped around Wildmutt's leg and she was tossed away, but she landed on a car, and rushed at the bigger guy, slamming into him, and causing a massive dent in the concrete.

"Bad... Doggy." The man grunted out, before kicking her away, and she landed while skidding, so she used her claws to stop herself. She listened and heard the breath man taking a deep one, and jumped away, and heard acid eat away at the ground of where she was.

"Damnit, how'd it... It's blind!" The acid one yelled. Wildmutt just laughed. Silly humans relying on eyes. He then tried to breath more acid at her, but she leapt away before it could travel too far.

She grunted as she landed, and quickly charged towards the Acid one to pin them down, and stick something in their mouth. But something punched her off, and Ben rolled onto the ground.

'Ow.' Ben grunted as he clutched his side. That... Wasn't a time-out, that was a force out. Wh-

A clown. THE Clown from the pictures.

"Well, well~" The clown laughed. "What's a naughty girl like you doing out of the tent? Pretty impressive trick, aye~?" He then rolled his shoulder, and pulled some kind of collar out. "You'd make quite the closing act!"

"N- No... stay... Stay away." Ben backed up more and more, as the clown approached.

"Now now there girly~ You'd be quite an act." Ben couldn't breath. Why... Why... "Perhaps you'll be the newest freak-" A slap on the watch, and Ghostfreak was flying away faster than she's ever flown before.

"Shit shit shit shit." She kept hissing under her breath.

Bea blinked as she woke up in the RV. She slowly got off the cot, and tried to put her feet down, but... It hurt, it hurt so bad! She pulled her feet up, and clutched them, and that's when she realised. It wasn't legs, it's a tail split in two.

"Wh- What?" She whimpered out, and looked at herself. "Ghost? Dead? Am I dead?" She whimpered out.

"Woah, woah! You're not dead, you're NOT dead!" A voice spoke in Bea's mind. She looked around, and the voice calmed down. "Calm down, ok? I'm Ghostfreak, I'm the form you are currently."

"Form?" Bea asked.

"You're... A lot younger than before, ok. Uhm... Ok, look sweetie, I'm Ghostfreak, you're currently in a body that's a mix of mine and yours. Something happened, and you got scared, so I flew you away to a safe place."

"Safe?"

"Yes, safe. Now, could you please return to human? Just press the symbol on your chest, ok? Once you're human, maybe you'll feel better? If you need me again, just look for a silhouette that kind of looks like me, ok?" Bea nodded, and pressed onto the symbol, and she was human again.

She walked to the mirror, and looked at herself. Her eyes looked odd, as did her body. She didn't... Look quite right. She looked around for anything that's hers. She sees her sister's clothes and other things, she shouldn't take them. She looked around. Where was her sister, and Grandpa?

"alone... I don't like to be alone..." Bea whispered, and then started to breath heavier. "Not alone, please not alone. No alone. Not again..." She whimpered out, curling into a ball, and in a flash of light, Ghostfreak was back.

"Ok... Maybe I shouldn't leave you alone." Ghostfreak sighed. "Ok bud, what happened?"

"I don't like to be alone." Bea whispered. Ghostfreak just gave a patient smile.

"Ok, how about we look for Gwen and Max?" A mental nod. "Great, let's do that Bea."

Max and Gwen had been drained of their happiness. Ghostfreak just felt anger, while Bea felt scared and sad.

"How can we Fix? Can we help?" Bea asked.

"We can... But we're going to need to face Zombozo." A whimper. "You'll be fine. I'll deal with him, ok? Just... Let me take control for a bit, ok Bea?" A mental nod, and Ghostfreak felt her form... Shit.

Instead of nails, she now had claws. She felt her teeth get sharper, and that her eyes grew glossy and hollow. She felt her skin lighten, and her organs go from 'human' to her tendrils. She knew, she was more Ectonurite than human right now. And... It doesn't feel as good as she thought it would.

But it was useful.

She flew up, and saw some spirits floating towards her.

"This way, follow, find the joy stealer!" They chanted, and Ghostfreak nodded, and rushed towards the big main tent, and floated inside.

"Ah~ The ghost graces the crowd with her presence!" A Ring Leader said, and Ghostfreak looked out into the crowd.

"They... Look..." Bea couldn't even finish her sentence. Ghostfreak could only look on in horror, as it seemed that kids and grown-ups alike had their very Mana drained. She... She knew what Zombozo was now.

She knows how to fight him.

She floated to the ring man, and lifted him up by the neck.

"NO KILL!" Bea yelled.

"Oh no~ He's just going to wish for death." She laughed out, before slamming him into the ground, and gripping his leg. "Where, is, Zombozo?" She asked.

"Le- Left! He left! The left tent! House of Mirrors!" The Ring Leader yelled out in fear.

"Good~" She nodded, and rushed away.

Ghostfreak floated past Frightwig, not even glancing at her.

"..." The woman just stared in shock, as Ghostfreak's face was cracking and her skin was showing more lines than before, and her eyes moved around, searching for Zombozo.

"Ah, there- You look different. Why?" Zombozo asked.

"You hurt... HER family. You hurt, families." Ghostfreak whispered out.

"Uh, yeah? I'm a Vampiric Zombie~ It's kinda my gig." He laughed, and some tendril and snakes flew towards Ghostfreak, who just them them pass through her. "Really? Not even a flinch? Huh, maybe I shoulda sprung for the ghost package, hey-o~" He laughed.

"Dumbass." She hissed. "I'm not someone with emotions. Ectonurites don't have those!" She said, before rushing at him, and slashing.

"Woah!" He dodged to the side, and then tried to punch her with a jack-in-the-boxing-glove. "Hey, claws off the merchandise!"

"Shut up." She growled, as her mouth cracked open much too wide and she let her tongue roll around her fangs. "Now, let's see if you bleed!" She rushed him, and he just dodged to the side, and pulled out some handkerchief-chains, and dabbed his forehead, before ten more came out, and wrapped around her before she could fade out of touch.

"There we go. Now, what's under that there cloth?" He asked, ripping it away, and then averting his eyes. "Nothing, apparently."

"You... CREEP!" Ghostfreak yelled, before ripping her arms free, and then tearing open her chest and stomach, and all her tendrils came out, and her head tilted upside down. "You've pissed me off!"

Zombozo just backed away, falling on his ass, raising his arms up.

Ben blinked as he suddenly came too.

"What the?" He looked around. Zombozo was lying on the ground, out of it, but breathing.

"What..."

"Perhaps, I went a bit far." Ghostfreak whispered.

"... He hurt Gwen and Grandpa, and so many others." Ben sighed. "... I'd say this one was warranted. At least he's alive."

"As alive as he can be, damn Mana Drainer." Ghostfreak sighed. "Better get back to them... I'm sorry, I... I'm in your mind now."

"It's fine." Ben said honestly. "... I don't feel as alone anymore... And it's like having a sister."

"Sister..." Ghostfreak said, and Ben could hear the smile. "Thank you." She went silent, but Ben could still... Feel her, for lack of a better term.

"Hey guys, anything exciting happened while I was gone?" Ben asked the two, who looked up at him as he calmly walked over.

Chapter Text

Ben ducked behind an arcade cabinet as some older kids were picking on a boy with long black hair and a bike lock on a necklace.

"Leave me alone!" The boy hissed. "Before I make you!"

"Hey! What's going on here!" Ben yelled, rushing over. His watch was now a soft pink. He wonders why it's that now.

"Aww, does lil' Kevin have a girlfriend~?" One of the older kids teased.

"..." Ben just gave them a flat blank stare.

"Wow, that's just... How old is this guy?" Ghostfreak asked, looking at him.

"From they way he talks, you'd assume he's seven." Ben muttered. He only realised that he spoke aloud at everyone's stares.

"Flim, dude, she got you good~" One of the other boys said, punching his shoulder.

"Shut it Flam!" Flim said, punching his... brother? back. "Besides it seems she's just a freak."

"... What. Did. You. Call. Me?" Ghostfreak asked out of Ben's mouth, and Ben mentally scolded her.

"Look, they don't deserve pleasantries!" Ghostfreak defended.

"A freak." Another boy said. "What are you going to do about it?"

Ben just stared. After all, what could he do?

"Just... Go away." Ben sighed out. "Before I make you."

"What can you do?" Flam asked.

"... Trust me." Ben's head moved a little too far left, and he knows his teeth sharpened to an inhuman level. "You don't wanna know, boys~" The two said in unison. Two voices shouldn't come out of the same mouth.

"Woah, that was dope." Kevin said with a grin. "How'd you do that?"

"Trick of the light." Ben said with a shrug and a grin. "So, you're Kevin?"

"Yeah, what's your name?" Kevin asked.

"... Ben." Ben said simply.

"... You're a boy?" Kevin asked. Ben nodded, and he felt Ghostfreak become confused, before seemingly deciding on something. "Ok then, I guess." He shrugged. "Hey, wanna see something cool?"

Kevin actually showed Ben something cool. It was a few backstreets, but it was pretty amazing.

Street art, people selling things that were clearly made by them, and a small little hide-away that Kevin said he was using.

"Yeah, it's pretty neat, huh?" Kevin grinned.

"... Why are you staying here? What about your parents?" Ben asked. Kevin just looked away.

"Does it matter?" He asked. "They didn't want me. They wanted a son that wasn't so... wrong."

"I... Don't think that's true?" Ben said confused. "Parents... Shouldn't do that."

"Well, they did, ok?" Kevin scoffed, before absorbing some energy from a streetlight. "What about you? Why'd they send you with your gramps?"

"... Because he's been planning this trip for months. Because they relented when I asked?" Ben said confused.

"... He... Seems different. Be careful." Ghostfreak warned.

"Huh, guess you've got a good life." Kevin said, his hand crackling. "... Better than mine."

"... So, what do you want to do now? I've still got some time." Ben said with a shaky smile.

"OH, I've got an idea on something fun we could do." Kevin grinned, but both Ghostfreak and Ben couldn't help a shiver that went down their spine.

Ben dodged another electrical blast of Kevin's, as he tried to keep the train tracks on the right path, so they don't smash together.

"Kevin! Stop this!" He yelled, while the boy just smiled, mad with power.

"YOU THINK I CAN JUST STOP, BENJI~?" He laughed, giving Ben a nickname. "YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW THE RUSH THIS GIVES! NOW, LET'S SEE WHO'LL WIN, THE HERO OR THE VILLAIN!" He cheered, absorbing the power of doors, locking them in.

"You've gone insane!" Ben yelled.

"I don't think we can really talk, Ben. We fought the Bounty Hunters, a Dinosaur, and those Limax." Ghostfreak reminded him.

"Shut it, Ghost." Ben shot back, before dodging a blast of electricity from Kevin. "Kevin! Stop this!"

"Insane~?" Kevin laughed out. "I'VE NEVER HAD A MIND MORE CLEAR!" He yelled, and made a giant blast of electricity arc out from him.

Ben raised his arms, and felt pain arc through him before the watch glowed, and absorbed the excess. "Ow." He muttered, before slowly standing up. "You're all out." Ben breathed, looking at Kevin.

"And that Watch has so much more!" Kevin yelled, reaching for it. Ben moved away his arm, and punched Kevin in the face with his other hand. "Ow! How the hell do you punch so hard? You're smaller than me!"

"Just shut up." Ben breathed heavy, getting into a fighting stance. "And give up already."

"Come on Benji~" Kevin grinned. "You know I'm not that type o' guy." The two rushed at each other, as the two trains passed behind them, blaring in the noise.

Ben was knocked down, and Kevin grabbed the watch. "I FEEL SO MUCH POWER!" He yelled, before a flash of pinkish grey sent Kevin flying.

And then a sound of crystal grating on crystal was heard, as Kevin slowly stood up. His arm was slim with a bigger part on his shoulder, and a shell of diamond across the right part of his chest and back, with his other arm having some crystals on his wrist. The lower part of his right arm was also a big chunkier with crystal fingers, and his head was a slim type with glowing orange eyes. The crystal started off with a pale blue, before fading into a light grey at the fingertips.

"What... The hell did you do to me!?" Kevin yelled, his voice sounding much more feminine than before. "I'm a freak!" He shifted his hand into a ball with spikes on it. "... Maybe these powers aren't that bad." He grinned, before charging at Ben.

"Yeah? So are we" Ben and Ghostfreak growled, before Ben pressed down on the watch, and Ghostfreak let the attack pass through her.

"What the-" Kevin growled, and formed an axe with his hand, and started to swipe at the duo with no effect. "JUST DIE!"

"I'm a ghost, I can't." Ben drawled, before punching Kevin away. "But you're welcome to try, Kevin~"

"URGH!" Kevin yelled, before charging at Ben forming a giant shield with his arm, and trying to ram the ghost before slamming into the wall, and then forming a sword, and started to slash.

"Wow. You're really, really not good at this." Ghostfreak sighed. "Seriously Kevin?"

"SHUT UP!" Kevin yelled, "DON'T CALL ME THAT! KEVIN ETHAN LEVIN DIED MONTHS AGO!"

"... Your name, is Kevin, E' Levin? Dude, you just lost all pretenses of cool." Ben grinned.

"What should we call you then?" Ghostfreak asked, confusion in her voice.

"I... SHUT UP!" Kevin yelled, swiping at Ghostfreak.

Ghostfreak and Ben just sighed, before forming claws with her hands. "Now, let's get back to the fight."

Ben watched as the crystals faded from Kevin's arm and head, and he turned back to human. "What the-" Kevin reached for his head, and his voice was still more feminine, and the ponytail staying, and half his body being skinnier than the other half. "Why did I turn back? WHERE DID MY POWERS GO!?" He glared at Ben.

"Now now, let's not do anything... rash." Ghostfreak said worried.

"Oh, it's a little late for that, Benji!" Kevin yelled, and grabbed the Omnitrix, that was in the middle of Ghostfreak's chest. "NOW GIVE ME MORE OF THAT POWER!"

In another blast of pinkish grey light, (More pink than last time for some reason), Kevin now had a different look.

Kevin's torso and left side of his body was now that of Ripjaws, with scales and webbed claws on his left hand, but none of the clothes that Ripjaws normally has. His legs were now the fishlegs that had simple blue scales, and a blue and black 'skirt' as well as the tows being two claws with webbing. He had glowing fish eyes. "Now this is something~" He purred, her two fangs sharp, and voice not even boyish at all. "Now~ Stay still while I chomp that watch off your arm!" He took off towards Ben, who dived to the side.

"Urgh, I hate these psychos!" Ghostfreak seethed, as she dialed around to Four Arms. "She'll be a help!"

"... She?" Kevin asked. "Huh, guess you really are a girl, huh Benji?" Kevin then tried to bit her. "Or is there another name? Brittany? Bianca~? Bea?" Bea flinched, and Ben slammed down onto Four Arms.

And XLR8 felt her feet hit the ground. "Uh... This works!" She noted. She then sped past Kevin, kicking and hitting him at high-speeds.

"STOP IT!" Kevin yelled, and then kicked to the side, and then tried to bit her. She kept dodging fast, and laughed a bit.

"Missed me. You're nowhere near fast enough." XLR8 taunted. "Want a free hit?"

"URGH!" Kevin took off on all fours, and leapt onto XLR8, who was too shocked to even more her feet, and Kevin grabbed onto the watch. "GIVE ME MORE POWER!"

"BACK OFF!" XLR8 yelled as her watch started to glow more and more pink. "GET OFF ME!"

A giant wave of pink exploded out of the watch, and Kevin landed on the ground, and Bea was left as a human, shaking.

"Wh- What happened?" Bea asked.

"Something bad, now get back to Grandpa and Gwen before they wake up!" Ghostfreak's voice spoke to her, and the girl took off running.

Chapter Text

Bea sighed as she laid down on her bed.

"Hey, B-" Gwen said. "Are you ok?" She asked worried. Bea nodded confused. OF course she was, why wouldn't she be? "... Ok, if you're sure..."

"I'm fine, Gwen." She smiled.

"... Different..." Gwen muttered. "If you say so."

"Night, sis." Bea said, lying down.

"... Night... Bea?" Bea smiled, and fell asleep easily. "... Oh god." Gwen sighed for some reason.

Ben groaned as he woke up.

"Come on kids, we've got a fun day ahead of us!" Grandpa said, way too cheerfully.

"Grandpa? We're in the middle of nowhere. Literally. This Town is called, 'Middle of Nowhere.' I think we can sleep a bit longer." Ben sighed tired.

"There's much to see, and you've slept all through yesterday, we couldn't even wake you up." Grandpa explained."

"It's true, you slept a long while... Ben." Grandpa might not have noticed the pause, but Ben did. "Come on, let's just go see the town, yeah?"

After ditching Grandpa, Ben pulled Gwen aside. "Gwen, why did you pause on my name?"

"... Because I called you Bea last night, like the nice EMT lady called you." Gwen told him.

"... She... What?" Ben asked. "Bea?"

"Yeah." Gwen nodded. "Why?"

"... I don't remember ever being called that." Ben admitted.

"I..." Ghostfreak fell silent.

"... I... Think I need to be alone right now." Ben whispered, and Gwen nodded, leaving him alone next to the world's largest Glass Bottle.

"Ghostfreak?"

"Yes Ben?"

"... Is... Is there someone called Bea in the Omnitrix?"

"Not... Not in the Omnitrix, no." Ghostfreak whispered.

"... In... In my head?"

"... I'm sorry, Ben."

"... That's fine." Ben looked to the sky. "I'm fine." He whispered.

"... I don't think you can talk to each other. I think one of you goes to... 'sleep' for lack of a better term, while the other is 'awake'. Sometimes a situation... Forces a change."

"... Then I won't mind." Ben thought back to his friend. "Besides, as long as you watch over her, she'll be fine."

"Yeah. She will be, I promise."

Lucy blinked as she noticed Ben split off from... his? her? Grandfather, and stay near the giant bottle.

"Hey, kiddo." She said sitting next to them. "You ok?"

"You're... Animo's daughter, right?" Ben asked. "Lucy?"

"You remembered that?"

"Yeah. I thought you were pretty cool." Ben smiled. "Why are you here?"

"Just... Looking for my dad." Lucy admitted. "What about you?"

"Just a boring spot." Ben shrugged. "A day or two without a threat would be nice."

"Yeah, I saw those fish people, not fun." She shook her head. At Ben's shocked look, she explained. "I heard there was weird Fish in the lake, so I went to go see, and saw a weird mermaid fish thingy. Was that you?"

"Yeah, I was Ripjaws." Ben admitted.

"... Hey kid, question for you?" Lucy asked. "Are you out to your folks yet?"

"... Out?" Ben asked, looking very very cute confused. She... Doesn't realise? Wh- Why the hell does she not realise? She's so cute, and feminine already! And her hair was near her shoulders!

"Never mind. What's that thing on your wrist?" Lucy asked.

"It's called the Omnitrix." Ben said, rubbing it. "It's... Sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth... Other times it feels like life would be wrong or empty without it." They looked up to the sky. "Ten aliens. And I can become any of the ten."

"... That's neat." Lucy said with a smile. "So, what forms do you have?" Are they all cute and pretty like you, was left unsaid.

"What in blazes." Ben yawned as he walked outside with Gwen, both blinking tiredly. Grandpa just stared at the ruined town. "Either of you hear anything last night?"

"I heard someone laughing like a chipmunk on coffee, but no." Gwen yawned. "B?" B? That's a new nickname.

"Nope. Slept like Diamondhead." He yawned. "These don't look like fire."

"Nope, Electrical." Lucy said tapping one. "Not fire. Totally different."

"I see... And you are?" Max asked.

"Lucy. Anyway, how about the weird battery lookin' thing over there?" Lucy asked, jabbing a thumb at a weird battery looking alien laughing on a telephone pole while slapping it's butt and blowing a raspberry.

"what in the heck is that?" Gwen asked.

"Megawhatt." An old man said. "Someone didn't MIND the SIGNS." He glared.

"Ben." Max scolded.

"Hey, Ben didn't go into its room. I did, with a camera. I'm sorry, I thought I was far enough away." Gwen admitted, bowing her head slightly.

"Well, I suppose that you didn't know." Max nodded, patting Gwen's shoulder. "Chin up Pumpkin. I'm sure Ben can deal with this."

"Sending a child to do a man's job." Lucy muttered.

"I'm used to it." Ben whispered back.

"... You shouldn't be kid." She sighed sadly. "Come on, I've got a drainer, and that watch of yours might have something to deal with it."

"Yeah... Here goes." Ben muttered, dialing around to Restore. He pressed down, and the techno-blob of pure pink lines was in his place. "Guess this works." She muttered, looking at the glowing pink. "You ready?" She asked

"Yep." Lucy nodded, holding onto her battery pack. "I'm ready."

Heatblast breathed heavy as she leaned against the side of the dam. "Oh man, that was hard."

"I'd say. Good thinking on the world's biggest lightbulb." Lucy grinned, before she fell onto her butt. "God, I haven't run that much since PE."

"Trust me. Using that much fire so quickly, and Comet Dashing to get these buggers in the glass? Not fun either." Heatblast said, landing on her back.

"... Hey, you good kid?" Lucy asked, concern on her face as she pulled up her visor.

"Yeah... I'm good." Heatblast nodded, before pressing her palm to her Omnitrix, and turned back to human.

"Interesting device." Lucy huffed. "... Urgh, I'm outta cash." She groaned, seeing her tattered hoodie.

"... You're good with tech, right?" Ben asked.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

Lucy blinked as she stared out the window of the RV. "... Guess I'm part of the group now." She muttered.

"It'll be nice to have another girl in this place." Gwen smiled. "... Other than..." She trailed off, looking over at 'Ben'. Heh, guess she noticed too?

"Yeah..." Lucy looked over at Ben who was currently lying on her bunk, fiddling with his/her watch. "... I wonder who made that wonderful toy." She smiled.

"It's not a toy." Max said from the driver's seat. "It's a powerful device-"

"That turns species into other species. What did you think this was made for, other than to have fun with it?" Lucy asked with an odd look.

"... All the aliens Ben becomes are dangerous. Powerful. He needs to learn control." Max said.

"She needs a grandfather that isn't an ass." Lucy whispered under her breath. "Look, old man. I don't care what you think, but they've earned a bit of fun, and this device doesn't seem to be a weapon. Do NOT, treat it as such." Lucy warned.

"... Understood." Max nodded his head.

"... Where to next?" Ben asked from her spot.

"You'll see." Max said cryptically. "You will see."

Chapter Text

Bea yawned as she stretched. "Morning." She said to Gwen.

"Morning Bea... Do you know-"

"I uhm... I know." Bea nodded, and the two looked over to Lucy. "Do you have anything that can help? Or I could go that Restore girl... or let Ghostfreak do something? She probably knows how to help? Right?"

"Hon..." Lucy gently patted her back. "Honey, I think this is a thing that'll take a few days. The doctor just said it's a few scrapes, and just some precautions. He should be out in two days." Lucy promised.

"Bu'..." Bea looked to the sleeping man.

"There's nothing we can do, Bea. He's... Fine, he's just needing sleep." Ghostfreak promised.

"... O... Okies..." Bea nodded, and snuggled into Lucy's side, yawning.

"You can sleep kiddo." Lucy promised. "You can sleep, lil' princess." She gently stroked Bea's hair, and the girl fell asleep.

Ben slowly woke up, and noticed something was... off.

"You're fully pink now." He muttered, looking at the watch. "Wh- Why?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know it COULD change colours... I'm sorry, Ben." Ghostfreak whispered.

"... It's fine." Ben smiled. "After all? What else can be done?" He looked around the RV, Lucy was fixing something with a few spare parts.

"Hey, Ghostfreak talkin'?" Lucy asked. Ben nodded. "Say hi to her from me."

"She can hear you, she says hi back." Ben smiled.

"... Hey, Ben... You are a boy, right? Like you're happy being a boy?" Lucy asked.

"...Yeah... Why?"

"... No reason." Lucy shook her head, and then put on a glove. She opened it and electricity cracked harshly, and then shut off, and she went back to tinkering. "Urgh, too high. Can't use on a human."

"What are you making?" Ben asked.

"Just a Shock Glove. Ju~st in case you're not around and someone attacks us." She said. "It's not ready yet, and it's not a simple fix before you ask to help, it's actually complicated."

"Understood." Ben nodded. "..." He glanced to the TV. "Ever get the feeling your life is a TV show?"

"Woah kid, gettin' kinda meta there." Lucy grinned. "What's brought this on?"

"Just..." Ben sighed. "Bea and Ghost..." He looked out the window, where Gwen was talking to a market man selling fruits. "They're... Different than me. Bea... She... I don't... Exactly... Know what she's like?"

"Cute and adorable." Lucy smiled. "Just the sweetest, and the sleepiest lil' thing."

"Oh." Ben blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "... She sounds... Nice."

"She's a snuggler." Lucy giggled.

"... Anyway, Ghost... She's... nice. Quiet. Timid." Ben admitted. "She's... She feels like a better me."

"B- Ben, don't say that." Lucy said, and Ghost agreed.

"Nah, it's true." Ben said, curling up a little. "Ghost and Bea are just... Better. Bea's cuter, and knows who she is... And... if Ghost just started to be in this body and I take over the aliens, or even just Ghostfreak's form... Maybe... Maybe that would be better? A better kid, and a better hero..."

"Ben." Lucy tried.

"Or... or maybe, I just run? Yeah? I can run, look for aliens that are threatening the earth, or... or keep you guys safe, by being away? Right?" Ben asked, tears leaking from his eyes. "I'm... I'm the problem, everything else is the hero, is what's good about me. I'm just a freak of a boy that can't do anything right." He said, smiling though the tears.

"... oohh no..." Lucy sucked in a breath.

Ghostfreak sighed as she calmly took some deep breaths. She then pressed the dial, and Ben was in her place, and she faded slightly.

"Wh- What happened?" Ben asked.

"You freaked out." Lucy said gently. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Mhm." Ben nodded, and twisted the dial. "Wh- Why did you let me back in control?"

"Because neither of us are the hero. Bea would rather just cuddle with your mom from what she's said... And me? I'm no hero, Ben. I'll never be a hero."

"You say that like I am a hero." Ben muttered.

"... Then let's get better together, aye?" Ghost said gently. Ben nodded, and felt better. The watch beeped into the brightest pink Ben's ever seen. "That's new."

"Yeah... it is." Ben nodded. A giant explosion was heard, and a mechanical woman was seen with metal claws. "... Hero time?"

"Hero Time!" Ghost agreed.

"HERE WE GO!" Ben grinned, reaching for the watch as it popped up to Ghost's thought of going Restore.

Ben just... Stared at the ceiling, as he tried to calm his racing heart..

Vilgax.

He could only breath heavy, and even Ghost wasn't much help, as she also seemed to be scared about something.

(Ignore the feelings. They don't matter, do they? Ignore how your legs were slightly slimmer, and there being less hair on his legs and arms. Smoother, skinnier.)

He sighed, and fell asleep, listening to Gwen's snores, and Lucy's gentle breathing. Grandpa asleep in the front seat, due to them leaving early in the morning to get to the wedding.

Ben smiled sadly.

"Thank you." He whispered, but... For the life of him, he couldn't tell you who he was whispering it too. The watch, Ghost, Lucy, Gwen or just... The Universe.

But he meant it all the same.

Chapter Text

Ben groaned as he was in the suit. "It's so stuffy!" He complained.

"It fits, doesn't it?" Max asked.

"Yeah, and it's making me wanna go Heatblast to burn it. It's making my skin crawl, did you wash it!?" Ben snarked, picking at the sleeves.

"... Yeah no, that colour? You'd suit blue or even Pink, more." Gwen said nodding.

"Well, I'm stayin' in the RV." Lucy said, waving them off. She wasn't dressed in anything special, just an oil stained singlet and pants, with welding goggles on her head. "I'll keep working on my glove."

"Can I stay with her?" Ben all but pleaded.

"Sorry Ben, if I have to go, so do you." Lucy just waved as they left the RV.

"Look, it's just the reception, right? Can I just be in my normal clothes until then?" Ben asked. Gwen held up a finger, before lowering it.

"... I don't see why not." Max admitted. "Go get changed, kiddo."

Ben quickly rushed back in, throwing the clothes onto his bunk while pulling on his normal pants and t-shirt. "Better." He muttered in relief. He then opened the door to jump out again.

"I swear to god you need a skirt or a dress or something." Lucy muttered under her breath.

"What did she just say?" Ben asked looking back at the closed door. "Eh, doesn't matter."

Ben tapped his fingers on the table as they ran through what people were doing what.
“Bored?” Cousin Lucy asked.

“What gave it away?” Ben gave a sigh.

"You face, and the fact that your leg hasn't stopped bouncing." Lucy giggled. "... Hey, what's that look for?" She said to Ben's monotone glare.

"Just... Wondering what to do." Ben admitted.

"... Wanna see something cool?" Lucy asked. "Follow me."

After a few minutes of walking Lucy giggled. "See any adults?"
"uh.... No~?" Ben looked around. "Why?"

"Cause I've got something cool to show you~" Lucy promised. And then suddenly, a long haired Ben was in her place. "see~"

"Woah... So that's what I look like with long hair?" Ben said. "... Maybe I should grow it out." He said, messing with his own a little.

"Wh- I thought that would freak you out..." Lucy said confused.

"Trust me. I'm used to this sort of thing." Ben grinned.

"Huh, neat." Suddenly Lucy was back in a swirl of mud.

"So you're made of mud or something?" Ben asked.

"Or something." Lucy giggled with a nod.

"... Wanna see something cool?" Ben asked, as Ghost twisted the dial around to the form that they shared. Ben pressed down, and Ghostfreak floated in front of Lucy with a smile.

"Woah~" Lucy's eyes turned into stars. "That's so cool!"

"Thanks." She smiled. She then turned back into human form. Lucy reached for the watch to have a look, after a few seconds of her looking and poking at it, Ben pulled his hand away. "So, wanna do anything fun?" He asked.

Ben sat down again as the 'rehearsal' started up again. He looked in the window, and blinked.

"Is my hair... Darker?" He muttered. "and... Longer?" He muttered, and saw it was at his shoulders.

"Oh, hey sweetie." Camille said with a soft smile. "How are you feeling about today?"

"Oh, I'm fine?" Ben said slightly confused.

"Do you want a hair tie hon?" Camille asked, holding one out.

"Uh... No thanks?" Ben shook his head. "I'm fine, thanks"

"If you're sure hon." Camille said with a soft look. "So, how's your summer been so far?"

"It's been..." Ben trailed off. "Why... are you talking to me?"

"Just checking in, sweetheart." Camille smiled. "After all, Lucy told me that you can... shift, too."

"... She told you?" Ben asked, slightly worried.

"Yeah." Camille then ruffled Ben's hair. "But you're all good, sweetheart." She said softly.

"Th- Thanks?" Ben blushed a little.

"So, what have you been doing?" Camille asked softly. "How's your grandfather and... sister? Cousin?"

"Gwen?" Ben asked. "She's fine, I guess..." He said. "And Grandpa's... Grandpa."

"I know." Camille sighed sadly. "Honestly, your family... It's... not exactly the best, honey."

"...I know, but... They try." Ben smiled.

"Hey, why don't you go to Lucy, and you girls go have some fun?" Camille smiled. "I'm needing to just finish some things up."

"... O- Ok, Ms Camille." Ben was about to correct her... But something stopped him. A pain his chest at the thought of her not seeing him the way she is... But he doesn't know why.

"Your mom's nice." Ben said, sitting next to Lucy.

"Yeah?" Lucy asked. "You met her?"

"Yeah, Camille, right? The bride to be?" Lucy just stared at Ben for a few seconds.

"... Y'know what? I'm not even going to argue that." Lucy sighed. "Alright, let's see-" A loud explosion was heard, and Ben groaned.

"One day without an alien attack, just, one, day." He muttered, slapping down on the watch, and Diamondhead was in his place. "Ready to rumble." She muttered, forming a scythe.

"Woah, more than ghost-girl?" Lucy asked. Ben nodded. "Neat."

"Yeah... Stay outta the way, it's gonna get messy." Diamondhead said with wide eyes, as she stared at the muck monster swirling towards them, causing another explosion of gas build-up. A bit of the mud turned solid. "Well, that's handy."

"Urgh, seriously?" Lucy asked. "Another bad guy Lenopan? How much of a stereotype can you be?" She complained, like it was a cliche in a tv show, and not happening right in front of her.

Diamondhead just huffed, and charged towards the Lenopan forming a shield from her arm, and rammed into it.

"Beep beep!" She cheered, and pushed it back, away from the main building. "Diamondhead Express barrelling through!"

"CAMILLE! I-" He yelled, reaching for the building.

"Woah buddy." Diamondhead punched the ground, causing a giant wall. "No way you're going to that place. They've got humans that don't know about aliens!" A pause. "Wait, did you just say-" A punch into the wall, but nothing cracked. "Ow, that hurt." She hissed. She got back up. "ok, gonna guess you're a crazy Ex, and not think about it too much!" She formed a hammer out of her fist, and started to beat the sludge back.

"Urgh, seriously!?" Camille asked, jumping over the wall. "It's supposed to be MY SPECIAL DAY!" Camille yelled, turning into a more humanoid... Lenopan? Alien. She's an alien, as is this guy, and Lucy. Ok...? "A Petrosapien? I won't say no to the help." She said, forming a spear with her arm, and stabbed at the sludge-man. Diamondhead moved to the side from a giant arm, and slammed the right hammer into the chest of... Urgh, uh... nickname?

"Does this guy have a name?" She asked Camille.

"It's Adobe." Camille told her. "Uh... Can I get a name for you, Ms Diamond-lady?" Diamond-Lady isn't bad... "Never mind, later!" She dodged another attack, as Diamondhead defended. She grunted, as she tanked the attack.

"Adobe? Really? You're named after Photo-Shop?" Diamondhead laughed, as she dashed to the side, and then sent a few shards into Adobe, diverting the attention away from the woman. "Seriously? I would almost be on my butt laughing. Y'know, if you didn't blow up a few things."

"... Y'know, for an alien, you're pretty knowing of human things." Camille commented.

"Now's not the time." Diamondhead said nervously. "Now, let's try and contain this guy."

Ben blinked looking in the mirror. "It's darker again..." He muttered. His hair seemed to lose all colour, turning pure black, and didn't even seem to catch the light, and the green from his eyes seem to be fading slightly. "What the hell..." He muttered, and held the hair. It felt weird.

"Just once, I'd like to have a normal day." Ben muttered, looking at the watch as he was sitting in the RB. "Without aliens, magic or anything else if I'm honest."

"When did you deal with magic?" Lucy Animo asked.

"The Krakken." Ben replied simply. "... She's silent." Ben noted.

"Maybe she's sleeping?" Lucy tried. "And you haven't been Bea for a while either." She pointed out. "Maybe the wedding it making them sleepy? Or... Bea seems to uh... What that word... 'appear'? No... 'Take charge'? When you're overwhelmed and aren't dealing with a situation too well."

"..." Ben nodded. "That... makes sense."

"And Ghost... Maybe you should go her form? Maybe she's just giving you a bit of time?" Ben nodded, and tried to use the watch, but it just blinked yellow. "Ohhh-kay?" He tapped it. "It's yellow."

"Dunno what that means, but can't be good." Lucy noted. "... Hey, the wedding's going to start soon. You might wanna get into that suit." She said, turning back to her glove, and sparking it. "That's better, but... Not perfect yet..."

"Speak now, or forever hold your pea-" The priest spoke, before he got hit in the face with sludge.

"OH COME ON!" Ben yelled, rushed forwards picking up a drink and throwing it at the sludge that tried to grab Joel, and then kicking the tendril trying to grab him, "Not this time!" He yelled, before landing on the ground, with one knee.

But instead of feeling any pain or anything, he noticed some sludge seeping from his knee, but it reforming back into his leg as he stood up. "What the...?" He muttered, as his skin started to warp and shift and flow. "This is weird." He melted into the floor, before popping back out behind the two Lenopans. "But fun." He formed a hammer with her hand, and rushed towards the two hulking figures.

He dodged another tendril, and then a giant fist smashed into the ground that he jumped on top of, launching himself towards the two older Lenopans, before smacking them in the face with his leg, which had turned into Diamondhead's leg. Ben noted Camille watching with wide eyes out of the corner of his eye.

"Ok, I don't know wh-" Ben stopped short, his voice... Later, think about it later, Ben! "Your voice IS cute though~" Ghost said. "... You were awake enough, and that's what you say?" He hissed to Ghost, before jumping out of the way of a hand.

"Stand down!" Ben's eyes widened as all the adult humans pulled out a lot of guns, rifles and other weapons.

"Oh come on." Ben groaned, as they started to fire, and he sunk into the ground.

Ben breathed heavily as he reformed back into a humanoid shape.

"Great." He muttered, looking at the mud that made up his new body. (Why do I like this so much? I... Shouldn't, right?)

"It got back up!" A voice yelled out, as Ben's form started to burst and shift as he got hit with more and more blaster fire. He growled a bit. "Stand down, Sludgepuppy!"

"..." Ben noticed Joel looking horrified, and Camille looking at him. Joel just nodded, and handed Camille both rings  (Exploded head, reform) who then pocketed them... Is the wedding off or something?

"Ok, that's it!" Camille said, turning into a shifting mess of mud, much like Ben rather than the two monstrous forms Ben just took down. "She is a child!" She yelled, punching two of the older folks, and grabbing their blasters, and then tossing them in the face of Joel's parents.

"But it's-"

"A child." Camille hissed. "A little girl. So what if she wasn't invited, or was hiding as someone else? She's young, and scared." The humans slowly lowered their weapons. "Hey honey." Camille gently bent down to Ben. "Are you ok, little one?"

Ben just nodded. He couldn't... talk? Why? He just did... Why can't he...

"Honey, what's that on your neck?" Camille asked, and Ben reached for a chocker that appeared, and felt a metal thing on it, and knew. Just knew... "... Ben? Is that you honey?" Camille asked gently. "You're a Lenopan, like me and Lucy?"

"I... I guess so?" Ben said. He tapped the metal, nothing happened. He pressed harder, nothing happened. He tried to press, twist and tap it. Nothing. Happened.

"Ben-"

"Don't... Don't... Not... not my name..." Ben tried to breathe, but he didn't feel any lungs, he didn't feel the air go in... Was he breathing? What's going on?"

"What do you want me to call you then, sweetheart?" Camille asked gently. Ben... Ben couldn't... Can't... He doesn't...

Camille gently hugged the young Lenopan close, as she settled into a human form, with long pink hair ending in a light blue, pink eyes and a very nice navy blue dress with a white ribbon around the middle.

"Ben? Are you ok?" Camille asked gently.

"N- Not my name..." The form was smaller, tiny even. She's not too used to human ages but... Maybe around six?

"What's your name then, sweetheart?" Camille asked.

"B- Bea." Bea said.

"Well, Bea." Camille said gently. "Are you ok?"

"M- Mhm..." Bea nodded. "Wh- goin' on?"

"Nothing honey." Camille said softly. "Do you want to go sit down somewhere?"

"Mhm." Bea nodded.

Camille isn't used to this sort of thing... But she can look after kids. She gently led Bea into the RV, and Lucy was sitting there.

"Huh, wait... That's not Ben..." Lucy said, looking at Bea. "Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm Bea." Bea said quietly.

"..." Lucy stared at her. "Ok." She shrugged. "So, uh... Nice to meet you, Bea?"

"Nice to meet you too, sis!" Bea smiled. Camille blinked at that, looking at Bea confused. "Is something wrong mama?"

"..." Lucy and Camille shared a look. "This is fine." Lucy said.

"No, it's not. Go get Gwen." Camille hissed.

"Yeah yeah, I'm on it, Mama." Lucy gave a shit eating grin.

Camille sat down across from Max.

"Sorry the wedding didn't work out." Max said.

"What can you do?" She shrugged. "We're still friends but..."

"A strain on the relationship." A stain, if anything, but yes Max. Camille sighed.

"We're not getting married. We're still friends, but... No, we're not going to get married." Camille shook her head. "Lucy and the g-grandkids of yours." (Does Max know about Ben being a girl? About Bea?) "Are getting along great. I was wondering, because I've got an RV of my own, I was going to sell it, but might just use it now... And was wondering if we could tag along?"

"Why of course." Max nodded. "If you and Lucy are wanting to, we'd gladly let you tag along."

"Thanks, Max." Camille smiled. "I'm sure the kids will like that."

Chapter Text

Bea blinked awake.

"Good, you're awake. Now tell me what the hell happened!?" Ghost said in her mind. Bea almost whimpered from the harshness."So- Sorry, Bea. It's just... I don't know what happened."

"I don't know either."Bea noted that the RV looked different. "I think the RV isn't the Rust Bucket..."

"Yeah? Hey, who's in the RV with you? It doesn't look like Max and Gwen..."

"Oh, that's mama and sis."

"... What."

"Yeah, Lucy is my sister, and my mama, Camille."

"...WHAT!?"

Camille blinked awake and looked over to where Bea was sleeping, and a ghost girl was floating in her place, and looked over with a wide purple eye.

"Wh- What the..." Camille gasped, and looked to the empty bed. "... Are you... Bea? Or Ben?"

"... Neither." The Ectonurite that looked too human to be naturally born. "I'm... Just a ghost."

"That's not concerning at all." Lucy muttered. "Do you not have a name?" She asked.

"... Not anymore. Not one that belongs to me." The Ectonurite whispered. "I'm just... Nameless."

"How about Luz?" Lucy asked.

"... Why?" The girl asked.

"Because it's cute, and means light, and your eye is glowing, and you're also pretty pale."

"... You're not exactly tanned yourself." The ghost chuckled. "But... It's not the worst name." She said with a small smile. "Yeah... I guess Luz is a cute name." She pushed a bit of hair behind her ear.

"So, you're Luz?" Camille asked.

"Y- Yeah.. Hi, Ms Camille." She nodded. "... Sorry about... This."

"You don't need to be sorry dear." Camille said gently. "So, are you feeling ok dear?"

"I'm... Fine?" Luz said confused. "Why... are you being so nice?"

"What do you mean honey?" Camille asked softly, reaching out gently, but the ghost floated back. "Luz?"

"Do- Don't touch me please." Luz said, but Lucy hugged her close, with a slight nuzzle as Luz seemed to calm down. "... This is nice..."

"Oh. It's not people..." Camille realised whispering. "It's adults."

Gwen giggled as she held onto the charm.

"So, this thing is weird. It's mucking with all my tech." Lucy said. "Can you keep it away?"

"No~ I wanna see where it comes from, and I need to keep checking if the markings are right or not." Gwen scolded.

"Check the Wiki page or something." Lucy said, walking over, and lying on Ben's bunk. "I'm needing to finish the 'enhancement' I've been making."

"What does it do?" Gwen asked.

"If I knew, I'd tell you." Lucy muttered with a slight blush for some reason. "Now, what is that thing, and why's it so... hatin' on my tech?"

"Dunno, it's weird. It seems to enhance my natural physical abilities, and lets me do things I don't normally think I can do. Like jumping over cars, or taking out that weird mecha-arms."

"Four-Steam?" Lucy snorted. "Steam-Arms...  Eh, who cares. Anyway, YOU didn't defeat him. I had to overload my Electro-Fist and punch it's lights out. Thanks by the way, I'm still needing a new set of copper wires for that."

"Couldn't you have gotten some from the robot?" Gwen asked.

"It was STEAM powered, Gwenie." Lucy sighed. "Not electric powered. Otherwise we'd both have a lot more issues right now than my water burn." She muttered, picking at her bandaged arm.

"... Sorry.' Gwen looked down. "... Ben makes it look so... easy."

"Ben finds it easy because they've got ten, now eleven, super cool alien forms that don't act the way we do." Lucy stressed. "You're ten, Ben is... Well, most of their forms aren't ten." Lucy decided to correct, making sure Max wasn't listening by lowering her voice. "They're used to fighting for their life, you aren't. You think it's all fun and games? Ben knows what the hell they're doing, you just got a magic charm and a costume. Ben got the most powerful device in the universe on their wrist. There's going to be differences, Gwen." Lucy sighed. "A lot of them."

Camille stared at the Ectonurite currently possessing Ben's... Bea's? Body, who was sleeping in the bed Bea was before.

"She's... Different now." Lucy murmured.

"Yes. She is." Camille nodded. "... I wonder when Ben will wake up."

"I... Thought her name was Bea now? Or Luz?" Lucy said confused.

"I... I'll explain later honey." Camille said sweetly, pinching Lucy's cheek, before pausing. "... I can see why everyone assumes you're my kid now."

"You do act like a mom." Lucy giggled. "And uhm... Would... Would it be ok if I called you that? I uhm... You've kinda been a better one that my actual mom has been."

"..." Camille just hugged Lucy. "Of course, darling." She whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Of course."

"M- Mommy?" Bea asked, as her form shifted back to the Lenopan form, pink and blue hair. "Wh- Wha's goin' on?" She asked cutely, blinking over at Camille and Lucy.

"Nothing's happening right now dear, why don't you get some more sleep?" Camille said softly, brushing Bea's hair with her hand, before kissing the top and tucking her back in.

"BEEP BEEP!" A man laughed, as a giant steam powered truck (Or was than an RV?) barreled past with a large fat man sitting on the top, pulling leavers and releasing giant orbs of boiling water and steam. "MAKE WAY FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS!"

"Oh, shit." Lucy groaned as she coiled her way onto the top of the RV. "Uh... Bea? Luz? You awake!?" She called back in, stretching her neck to peak in the window, where the Lenopan was slowly blinking away. "Get out here!" Bea nodded, and joined Lucy on the roof, and looked at the weird metal tank like thing.

"Uhh...." Bea stared at it, and Luz was in her place, with pure white hair that seemed to reflect the light at double the brightness. "... Yeah, I don't know how to deal with this."

"... You can just... Switch?" Lucy asked.

"Not... Exactly." Luz shook her head. "Uh, Bea doesn't want to deal with this, and I don't know how... Urgh, we need Ben."

"Wait... Bea isn't Ben?" Lucy asked.

"... I'm not Ben. But Ben and Bea? It's complicated." Luz muttered, and dialed around the watch. She went past Diamondhead (Lucy's never seen a Petrosapien like that before), Four-Arms (Was... Was that slimmer? And had long hair? Female Tetramand?), Heatblast and then XLR8. And then finally, something that was different. It looked... Human. Long hair reaching her shoulders, a skirt and boots, and the Silhouette didn't even reflect the green glow at all... In fact, it seemed to darken.

"Found you." Luz muttered, before pressing down. And Ben was back?

But something was off. Instead of the normal Ben she has seen before the wedding, instead stood a girl with a purple buttoned up top over a long sleeved white shirt that had purple cuffs, and a smaller lighter purple bow on the front. She had pure purple eyes, and a dotted purple headband on her head. Her hair was long, reaching her back and being the same too bright white that seemed to reflect all the light away from her. Her skirt was plaid and mostly purple, with a white ruffle and a red thread forming two x's leading to a little bow. She wore white stockings and black shoes, with the Omnitrix being on a white leather belt around her waist.

"Uhh... This... Shouldn't have happened." Luz muttered, looking at herself. "I am cute though!" She giggled. "Come on Ben... Wake up." She whispered. Lucy and Luz looked back at the Steam Tank, as it barreled towards an RV that was very familiar, and struggling to get out of the way.

Gwen gasped as the tank came barreling towards them, Grandpa was flicking switches and flooring the RB, but it was gaining on them.

"Can this guy, stop trying to kill us." Lucy groaned, pressing two wires together, and aiming out the window. "FOR FIVE MINUTES!?" She yelled, firing off a giant blast of flame, that almost hit the guy, causing Gwen to stare at her in shock.

"Ok, maybe we stop with the attempted murder." Gwen said, pulling Lucy away from the window.

"Lemme at him! Lemme at him!" Lucy said, struggling to get to the window.

"Hey, Steam Brain!" A girl's voice yelled, and Smythe turned his head, as Ben kicked him in the back of the head, hair long and black now? What? And then they jumped in front of the tank, skidding back, and slapping the dial of the Omnitrix, and punched forwards with all four arms.

"Heh, you messed with the wrong girl pal." Ben grinned, as Four Arms looked... Different.

She was much smaller now, with no pants, but long boots that reached her knees, and a mostly white leotard with a black stripe down the middle, and black gloved sleeves nearly reaching to her shoulders, but now the arms were coming out of her shoulders instead of from her armpits. Her face was a bit slimmer, but the glowing orange eyes were gone, and were now just pure black voids. Her hair was vantablack that was in a (Admittedly cute) short style, that reached her shoulders.

"My turn." The four-armed girl grinned, as the tank was sent back a bit. She cracked her knuckles, and rushed forwards, ready to rip and tear the tank to scrap metal.

Ben breathed heavily as she leaned against the Rust Bucket. "Ok... That was..." She shook her head. "Surprisingly therapeutic."

"I'd say." Lucy said, poking her head out the window, as the other Lucy walked over. "Nice to see that you're back, Ben."

"Yeah?" Ben muttered. "Not sure if that's the best thing Lu-" Ben winced as Luz started another "You matter, and you're the hero and I wouldn't even have a chance if it weren't for you-" "... Ok, maybe it's a good thing."

"Of course it's a good thing dummy." Lucy-Mud said with a giggle and snort, punching Ben's shoulder. "You're you."

"... Don't exactly feel that way right now." Ben smiled sadly.

"Well, no need to worry honey." Camille said gently, rubbing Ben's back. "You're ok, Ben."

"... D- please, don't... don't call me that." The girl whispered. "I... I don't... Feel like that's my name. Not... Not anymore."

"... So you don't want to be called Be-"

"No." The girl shook her head at that. "... Bea's got her name, Luz has hers... I... I don't even know if I deserve one." She slumped down. "I... I just hid away, not even caring if anything would come up or not."

"But, you did come back when you needed to." Lucy-Tech said with a soft look. "Kid, that's a good thing. Despite being scared, or not understanding, you came back to help us, help me." She stressed.

"... I guess." The girl rubbed her arm.

"... How about we give you a nickname, just until we find you a name you like?" Lucy-Mud tried.

"... How about Omni?" Lucy-Sci asked. Lusci. Lusci! Nickname~

"... No." The girl shook her head. "I... don't want to just be tied to my watch."

"... How about, Nyx?" Camille said softly. "even just until we find a more suitable name for you?"

"I... I like it." Nyx smiled. "Even just until I find my name." She said, and looked at her... Uh... What does she call Camille?

"Bea calls her mom." Luz commented.

"Yeah... I uh... I HAVE a mom. So uh... Yeah."

"... That is honestly fair." Luz muttered. "... So what are you going to do now?"

"... Finish this road trip." Nyx thought. "And figure out who the hell I am."