Chapter 6: The Tennysons

[3rd person POV]

On the road, there was an old RV rolling leisurely, carrying three members of the powerful Tennyson family, who were also the main protagonists of the original series in this dimension-hopping adventure.

Grandpa Max Tennyson wore a white shirt, covered by a red buttoned-up Hawaiian shirt with a floral design. He was a slightly overweight man in his late 50s, with grey hair, and he wore blue pants along with brown shoes. He sat behind the wheel, while in the back of the RV were his two 14-year-old grandchildren.

The mischievous boy holding a cat mask in his hand was Ben Tennyson, also known as Ben 10. He had tousled brown hair, green eyes, and fair skin. Standing at a height of 165.10 cm (5'5 feet), Ben had a relatively slender figure compared to his peers. His outfit consisted of a white striped short-sleeved shirt, military green cargo pants with side pockets, a black belt hidden beneath the shirt, and black-and-white sneakers with black stripes. On his left wrist, Ben wore the original prototype Omnitrix.

Seated in front of the computer screen, completely engrossed, was Ben's cousin, Gwen Tennyson. She had green eyes and short red hair held back by a blue hairclip. She wore sky blue earrings. Her attire included a long-sleeved blue raglan shirt with a cat logo, reaching her elbows. Alongside it, she wore white capri pants and white sneakers with dark blue stripes, without any socks.

At 14 years old, Gwendolyn Tennyson possesses a lean and athletic body type. Her physique showcases a slender frame complemented by well-defined muscles, indicating her physical fitness. Gwen's body proportions are harmonious, with a proportionate waistline and firm buttocks. Standing slightly taller than her peers at a height of 5'4 feet or 162.56 cm, she carries an air of youthful energy and agility, reflecting her active and adventurous spirit.

At this moment, the screen displayed an image of six circular amulets with distinct patterns, but it was evident that they were crafted by the same person.

Suddenly, Gwen spoke up, "I cross-referenced the Archamada Book of Spells with dark magical charms, and look. It's part of a set called the Charms of Bezel. This charm is for luck. There are also charms for fire, levitation, and reincarnation."

"Whoa! Those are the charms Mr. Freak at the museum wore when XLR8 kicked his butt," Ben replied.

"That's why he wanted the Book of Spells. But it says all the Charms of Bezel must be used for the spells to be at their full power. Oh well, his loss is my gain," Gwen said with a triumphant tone.

"I'm afraid more like was. We need to return that charm to the museum," both of them were interrupted by Max's words.

"No fair! Not before I..." Gwen and Ben protested simultaneously.

"...try it," Ben continued.

"...use it again. The world needs someone with the power of Lucky Girl," Gwen insisted.

"Newsflash. I'm the only one with powers."

"Well, you can make that 'one' a 'two' now."

"All that stuff you did, it's not you, it's that charm."

"It's not you either, it's that watch."

"You're just jealous of me."

"Am not!"

"Are too! Times ten!"

As the argument escalated, a voice from the radio interrupted, "And in the news of the weird, reports are coming in that the city's famed haunted history mansion has come alive, trapping dozens of visitors inside."

"Grandpa!" both Ben and Gwen exclaimed simultaneously.

"On it," Max stated firmly.

[POV ends]

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[Gwen POV]

Today might be the best day since this summer began!

Being forced by my dad to spend the whole summer with grandpa and my dumb cousin on a road trip, I approached the upcoming journey with skepticism and boredom. However, everything changed after the first day, starting with our first night of camping. Somehow, Ben, the clueless goofball, stumbled upon a space-time watch that allowed him to transform into unimaginably powerful extraterrestrial beings.

After that incident, a series of supernatural events unfolded before us, from battling the Krakken monster to dealing with a mad scientist and even encountering alien races intent on abducting humanity. Each time, the three of us, grandpa, Ben, and I, found ourselves in dangerous situations, but thanks to the watch, we managed to come out safely. Despite the danger, there's no denying the excitement and joy we feel every time we overcome an event.

However, over time, the joy started to fade, mostly because Ben seemed to handle the majority of the events. Grandpa Max and I were left on the sidelines, watching Ben relish in the thrill of combat. Ben's growing arrogance only made things worse.

How could he be so pleased with himself when everything he achieved was merely due to luck? If I had been the one to find the watch that night, I would be the one receiving all the praise.

Fortunately, fate smiled upon me. Yesterday, while visiting an art museum, we were ambushed by a wicked sorcerer who sought to steal the Archamada, a book of magic, adorned with five Bezel charms around his neck. Naturally, Ben defeated him and took one of the charms for himself.

Looking at the charm hanging around my neck, I couldn't help but smile. This is the charm of luck. It grants the wielder supernaturally good luck. This causes anything and everything to go their way, but only if there was a possibility of it going their way in the first place. It makes all of the possessor's endeavors succeed in a good way. However, any opponents that may happen to be nearby suffer from increased misfortune.

Thanks to it, I have been able to save many people over the past two days and have received countless praises and wonderful emotions.

As soon as the RV came to a stop, I quickly bypassed Ben and rushed inside the house. My usual attire had now transformed into the Lucky Girl disguise, a costume I created. It consisted of a tight-fitting black outfit with a green belt, and my face was partially obscured by a cat mask.

As the three of us entered, everything unfolded just as described on the radio. The house seemed to come alive, with objects and debris flying about, endangering everyone inside.

Thanks to the charm, I was able to avoid any collisions with the objects. However, Grandpa Max and Ben became the main targets of the attacks. While I made my way upstairs to rescue people, Ben had to hide under the staircase to transform.

Just as I stepped onto the upper level, the entire balcony collapsed, causing me to fall. Fortunately, I managed to land on top of a pillar but got stuck there. Suddenly, the balcony levitated and swung towards the center of the room, with the distressed people on it about to fall. One person actually fell, but Max caught her in time.

In a critical moment, Ben appeared in his new form as Four Arms - an alien being standing at a towering height of 9.8 feet (3 meters). He had red skin, four arms, and four evenly distributed eyes. He quickly ran to hold onto the balcony before it tipped over completely. As he struggled to keep it steady, I approached to rescue the injured. Using the pillar as a foothold, I jumped up and grabbed the chandelier in the middle of the room, then swung it towards the people on the balcony so they could grab onto it.

As we swung back to safety, Four Arms was flung away by the swinging balcony, narrowly missing the woman Grandpa Max had saved. Meanwhile, the chandelier that I and the others were hanging from collapsed. Once again, the lucky charm prevented it from becoming a disaster, as the connected wire stopped it just before hitting the ground. The survivors frantically ran out of the house.

As the last person stepped out of the door, both doors suddenly closed, trapping the three of us inside. Before we could figure out how to open them, a layer of yellow-colored energy enveloped my hands, rendering them tightly held as if resisting was futile. I was then lifted into the air, and in that moment, I caught sight of a familiar figure—the wicked sorcerer who had attacked us before. He waved his hand lightly, and I was forcefully thrown away, while his disdainful voice echoed in my ears, taunting my futile resistance.

Not surprisingly, the lucky charm altered the situation, causing me to land on a curtain. The curtain subsequently fell on Hex, taking advantage of his temporary loss of observation. I pushed a suit of armor onto him, remarking, "Should have said please," with a mocking tone, before running into the interior of the house. Hex quickly got up and followed. Fortunately, relying on luck, I discovered a secret entrance leading to the ancient tomb beneath the house, but unfortunately, Hex caught up with me.

After a relentless pursuit, we managed to escape the tomb and entered a gloomy cemetery. Exhausted and partly frightened, I had to hide behind a tree by the roadside, hoping that my luck would drive away the sorcerer. Regrettably, against his absolute power, this small amount of luck proved insufficient.

While I was focused on Hex, a branch suddenly snared my leg. Before I could react, my entire body was hoisted up, surrounded by more approaching branches that tightly constricted my movements. One branch snatched the charm from my neck and flung it toward Hex.

Seeing Hex clutching the charm in his hand, a victorious smile on his face, I felt utter despair and fear. It was not just because I had lost my powers, but also because with all five charms and the Archamada book, Hex's power was overwhelming, and it was uncertain whether Ben and Grandpa could withstand him. Moreover, if nothing unexpected happened, my death was a certain outcome.

Now I realized that being a hero was not just about glory and joy. At this moment, I yearned for a miracle to occur, to solve all the problems. Perhaps it was due to luck, or perhaps the goddess of destiny had heard my prayer, and a miracle unfolded.

A sound echoed from behind Hex, followed by a metal mesh shooting towards him, tightly binding him and causing him to fall. Above the mesh, there were swirling electric currents, causing Hex's body to convulse in agony.

The lucky charm also slipped from his grasp and fell down. From a distance, a figure approached, picking up the charm and saying:

"You know, my dad once said, 'As a man, you shouldn't rely too much on luck.'"

[POV ends]