8) The Welcome

"He'll be there, Ben," Gwen reassured her cousin, offering words of encouragement as they prepared for the dinner party at Ben's house.

"Dad said that Grandpa asked him to do it. He's on vacation, apparently," Ben replied with a hint of anxiety.

"Ben, don't worry too much. Grandpa knows how to handle himself. He's probably had been on a well-deserved break." Gwen replied with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, but he's not answering any calls or messages. What if something's wrong?" Ben asked with a frown. His grandpa never forgot to call him back. First he was missing, then Magister Labrid shows up and Ben had no choice but to put the Omnitrix. Even the Forever Knights didn't know anything despite the tip from their grandfather to Labrid. When they reached to the weapon suppliers, the entire place was empty of any life.

"Come on, Ben. You know Grandpa. He's been through a lot and always finds a way to sort things out. Maybe he needed a break from all the hero stuff." Gwen stated with a smile. The last two days were a mess. She was having a normal life before everything shifted back to the times when she was 10 years old.

Sandra Tennyson, Ben's mom, approached the duo with a warm smile, her voice carrying a sense of cheerfulness that resonated with the impending festivities of today.

"Hey, you two! Can you help me get the table ready for the dinner. Your dads will be here soon." Sandra asked with a smile.

"Absolutely, aunt Sandra. We'll make sure everything is set up perfectly." Gwen replied with a smile.

"Sure thing, Mom. We've got it covered." Ben chimed in too.

As they shifted their focus to the preparations, Sandra observed the interaction between Ben and Gwen. She could sense a subtle worry in Ben's demeanor, prompting her to address the underlying concern.

"Is everything okay, Ben? You seem a bit preoccupied." Sandra asked worried.

Ben hesitated for a moment before opening up about his concerns, his expression reflecting a mix of worry and uncertainty.

"It's just... Grandpa hasn't been in touch, and it's kinda bugging me." He spoke with a worried tone.

Sandra placed a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder, offering both comfort and support.

"Oh, sweetie, your grandpa knows how to take care of himself. I'm sure he's fine. Let's get everything ready for the barbecue, and we can enjoy some good food together. Grandpa will show up when he's ready." Sandra replied with a smile.

Her comforting words served as a balm, easing Ben's concerns. Together, with a renewed sense of purpose, they all continued setting up for the impending dinner gathering.

Natalie Tennyson suddenly entered the room, her expression a mix of frustration and disapproval.

"I swear, Frank and Ben's dad are going to be late again," she commented with a discernible frown. Her dissatisfaction with the tardiness was clear.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. A wave of excitement swept through Ben suddenly. His father and Uncle had mentioned returning with Grandpa, and even Ken had gone with them. The anticipation of their arrival was too much for him. He had went nuts during the last two days. He had to put the Omnitrix back, fight Forever Knights and even investigate some alien hideout only to find nothing.

Excitement bubbling, Ben rushed to open the door. He was very much eager to welcome his father, uncle, grandpa, and Ken.

As Ben swung the door open, he was suddenly met by the face of his grandpa, father, uncle and Ken. However everyone appeared different, they were unusually calm and with a serious expression that caught of Ben's attention.

"Grandpa!" Ben exclaimed with excitement. But before his words had even ended, Max's mouth opened, and a jet of yellow liquid hit Ben squarely on his face. Another stream followed from his father, striking him directly on his left hand, covering the Omnitrix.

Gwen was taken aback as she witnessed Ben staggering backward, his face and left hand covered in a yellow liquid. She was poised to take action when Grandpa Max entered the room, followed by her father, Uncle, and her brother.

Her father opened his mouth, and a jet of yellow liquid shot out towards her. Reacting swiftly, Gwen extended her hand, conjuring a pink shield that emerged in front of her, effectively deflecting the incoming stream.

"Frank!" Natalie exclaimed, a mix of surprise and horror evident in her voice as the unexpected and unusual events unfolded before them.

"They're not them!" Gwen shouted to her mother, hastily covering herself, Aunt Sandra, and her mother behind the protective shield. Her father didn't shoot slime balls from his mouth.

"Carl! What are you doing?" Sandra exclaimed in disbelief as she witnessed her husband delivering a kick to their son's stomach, a shocking turn of events for her.

Suddenly, a man in a suit dashed into the room from the door. He brandished a laser gun in his hand, and his head was covered by a helmet.

The man's laser blast sent Carl crashing into the wall, freeing Ben from the assault. However, in the ensuing chaos, a slimeball from Max struck the man's laser, rendering it ineffective.

Gwen, realizing the urgency, took control of the shield in a single hand. With a swift and concentrated burst of mana, she launched a blast at Ken, who was attempting to climb through the shield. Beside her, her mother remained stunned, Natalie was too stunned by the chaos of the fight.

As Gwen prepared for another blast, a flying metal ball, roughly the size of a golf ball, tore through the glass window and struck her squarely on the back. The velocity of the impact made her wince in pain.

Before Gwen could take further action, the aliens immediately fell to their knees, clutching their heads in pain. Magister Labrid, too, was doing the same with himself.

Gwen's shields faltered as she observed the aliens clutching their ears in agony. She witnessed Ben moving wildly around the room, ultimately colliding with the wall in the midst of the chaotic scene.

"What's happening?" Natalie asked, her confusion evident. She could sense that this was some Plumber-related matter, especially considering that Carl's body had undergone a sudden and alien-like transformation.

Suddenly, a boy entered through the front door, holding a metal ball similar to the one that hit Gwen. His black eyes scanned the room before settling on Ben. His gaze then shifted, focusing more intently on the ladies, particularly on Gwen.

"Fuck me runnin!" Gwen cursed. She hadn't failed to recognise him. Her recognition flashed instantly – the boy in front of them was none other than Kevin Levin, the archenemy of Ben and a familiar foe in their earlier adventures.

"Back off, Levin! I won't allow you to hurt Ben or my family!" Gwen declared angrily, taking decisive action as she grabbed him in a hold of mana and hoisted him up. Her magenta pink shields held him firmly as she looked at him angrily.

"Gwen, put him down. He's here to help!" Labrid hurriedly spoke up, attempting to defuse the tension. He had stood up from his agony and was looking pale, however he was quick to get his senses back.

Suddenly, Gwen felt her Mana flickering, and the energy around Kevin instantly disappeared, even without her conscious command. She was left stunned, grappling with the unexpected and unexplained phenomenon, such a loss of control over her powers had never happened before. It left her in a complete surprise.

"You Tennysons are really ungrateful," Kevin commented with a sigh, his gaze was fixed on Gwen as he looked at her with a smirk.

"Magister Kevin." Labrid greeted respectfully. Gwen was shocked by the title. She knew what that title meant. There was no freakin way that Kevin Levin was a Plumber now.

"Magister Labrid, it seems the situation's more messed up than you stated," Kevin greeted Labrid with a frown, expressing his discontent and skepticism about the whole thing.

"Yes, Magister Kevin," Labrid replied obediently as he acknowledged the acknowledgment with a sense of deference.

"What has happened to Carl?" Sandra asked in a near-hysterical tone as she made her way towards Kevin to seek answers. The new arrival spoke in a sense as if he knew things.

Kevin observed the mother of his former arch-rival, her panic evident in her face and body.

"This if official Plumber business. We will need to research it, Mrs. Tennyson. I fear that your husband isn't the only one who needs to be researched on," Kevin replied slowly. Slowly stretching his hands, a wave of electricity emerged from his fingers, directed towards the faces of Max Tennyson, Frank Tennyson, and Ken Tennyson.

Immediately, their appearances changed as a mask fell from their faces, revealing bodies of beige color with black limbs and a head that exposed a brain covered by something transparent.

A simultaneous gasp escaped both Gwen and Natalie. They were stunned to their bones, as they found themselves grappling with the shock of witnessing their family members in such an alien state.

Kevin turned to look at his arch-enemy. Ben's face was completely covered by the yellow, hardened slime. The sight confirmed Kevin's suspicions about the Omnitrix. There was no way he was able to breath in such a state, yet he was standing and moving his arms wildly and trying to find his direction towards them.

"Stay still, Tennyson. I know you can hear me. Don't try to act otherwise and move; your entire face may be screwed up forever otherwise. I am going to remove the hardened slime now," Kevin warned calmly. He slowly moved forwards and touched the slime on his face gently under the watch of Gwen and everyone.

Gently absorbing the hardened slime, he transformed his hand into the same material of the slime. Slowly, he changed the slime back into its liquid state. The slime slowly turned watery and dripped from his face as Kevin changed its composition with his wish.

Kevin removed his hands as the final layer of slime melted away. His dark eyes met the green ones of Ben Tennyson, his once arch-rival who now looked at him with confusion and a red-faced expression.

"Thank you Kevin." Ben finally said with a confused tone. His eyes not leaving the figure of his arch rival.

"Your welcome." Kevin replied setting finally on a smirk.