Definitely, not your funeral, buddy

Cameron glanced out the window at the passing cars before turning to his mother in the driver's seat.

"How old was I then?" he asked.

: Cameron rocked a stylish and effortless look, which is why it is his classic look, pairing his classic white long-sleeved tee with ripped navy jeans and white Nike Tekkies.

"About four or five," his mother replied.

— Celc, the women where Cameron's African American side originated from, was a stunning and compassionate woman with dark brown eyes that shine well. Her natural beauty radiated from her glowing skin and thick, lustrus hair styled into an elegant low ponytail —

"Exactly! How am I supposed to remember someone from that long ago? I barely knew the guy anyway, so going to his funeral is unnecessary." Cameron crossed his arms and slouched back in his seat, feeling frustrated with the whole situation.

"Is that complaining I hear?!" Celec's voice boomed as she stopped the car engine.

Cameron flinched and looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry, Mom," he said.

"I work day and night for you, and how do you repay me? That's right, you get in trouble at school consistently!" Celec scolded.

"I don't get in trouble anymore," Cameron interjected.

"BOY!!! Did I SAY interrupt ME! Now, you listen to me and you listen well. It's time for you to get used to your other family, your normal family. And since they are a name family, I don't want to see any alien stuff going on, alright? We don't need any of that nonsense," Celec warned.

Cameron nodded meekly. "Yes, Mom."

[ ParkAlley Hotel - Main Room ]

A man wearing a formal tucks shaked Celec's hand while a women with a white dress cried on his shoulders.

"I'm so happy that you could join us today Celec, I know that you and your uncle Jeremy weren't that close, but it means the world to me that you're here."

"Hey, no worry, me and my son are both happy to be here, we really want to say our final goodbyes to my uncle Jeremy."

"You're a kind women Celec, I can finally see the similarities between you and my wife."

His wife lifted her face from his shoulders, "We're sisters after all." She mustered with tears. Celec dragged forward and embraced her with a hug.

"May uncle Jeremy rest in peace."

"He died too soon, he didn't even have the chance to get a job yet, this is unfair to him, why did it have to be him."

"I hope you don't spend this whole damn funearl crying because to me that will be known as Bitchias behaviour."

"Bitchias?" The husband repeated.

His wife chuckled. "Yeah... it's a word we made up together when one of us became too scared to do something, it's kinda why I married you."

"What?"

While the parents dealed with their own issues Cameron was with a bunch of other teens and children he barely had any recollection of.

"Cameron, Ma Nigga!" A dark skinned boy with dreadlocks exclaimed.

"Shit, no." Cameron sighed.

"If it ain't ma main homie Camdog, the ballsy nigga himself."

"Hi to you as well Devon, long time no seen dude."

"Ay-yo Tyron!"

"What?!"

Tyron and two other teens approached Cameron and Devon.

"So you Cameron Lenardo. My nigga I've been hearing a lot bad shit about you."

"What am I supposed to say, sorry?"

"Damn!"

"Yo this guy give no fucks!"

"Alright, alright, I see you CL, I see you. But my g, around these parts I'm known as that nigga, that guy that just does that shit."

"I'm guessing somebody new has taken my crazy crown, and I'm guessing that person is you?"

"Damn right it's him." Tatum endorsed.

"But Cameron still got that dog in him." Devon said. "Bro Cameron will ride a bulldog ass cheeks out."

"That's fire, that's fire, but our nigga Tyron here has been chased by twenty bulldogs with a stack of meet around his waist." Kiesha backed up.

"Eh." Cameron shrugged.

"Ohmyshit?!" Tatum exclaimed.

"Nah man. Nah." Devon shaked his head.

"This nigga for real just said 'eh'." Kiesha added.

Cameron chuckled. "It's something, but trust me buddy, I've been through worse."

Tyron looked at Cameron skeptically. "Are you questioning me, man?"

"Yo, I have an idea!" Devon interjected. "How about we have a challenge? There's a batch of woods not so far from here. The first nigga to stay a full three hours without bitching out is the real goat."

"There's nothing better to do here, so why not? Let's do this challenge," Cameron agreed.

➜ [ Park alley Woods ]

Cameron and Tyron stood at the entrance of ParkAlley woods with Devon, Tatum, and Kiesha watching.

"May the best nigga win," Tyron said confidently.

"That's going to be me," Cameron replied.

"Go!" Devon exclaimed, and the two took off sprinting into the forest.

Cameron and Tyron bolted into the woods, with the branches and twigs cracking beneath their feet.

The forest was dark, and the only source of light was the sun peeking through the leaves. Cameron and Tyron sprinted past the trees and over rocks, each determined to be the one who won.

Tyron pointed out, "Look at your ass following me!"

"C'mon dude, you're just in the way," Cameron replied.

Cameron sprinted ahead, somewhat overtaking Tyron briefly, but Tyron picked up his pace and ran past Cameron again. As the two continued, it was apparent that both runners were quick. Eventually, Tyron broke away from Cameron and ran to the left.

Tyron continued running through the forest for a little while longer before stopping near a patch of water. He took a moment to catch his breath, saying to himself, "Damn, I'm sure I lost that guy."

He sat down and checked his phone to see how much time had passed. He was surprised to find that an hour had already gone by. This made him feel more confident in the competition.

As Tyron rested, he noticed a strange rumbling sound coming from the water nearby. At first, he dismissed it, thinking it was nothing since the sound stopped when he lifted his head. But when he heard the rumbling sound a second time, he got up to investigate.

He approached the river and looked into the water, but he couldn't see anything. As he turned around to leave, he heard the sound again. He sighed and turned back around, only to scream in fear when he saw EyeZ standing there.

In a panic, Tyron quickly ran away from EyeZ.

EyeZ chuckled to himself as he removed the seaweed from his body. "Ha! Got him! His face was priceless. I'm hilarious," he said with a smirk.

He walked out of the water but suddenly found himself unable to move any further. Looking down, he saw that his leg was wrapped in mummy-like bandages.

"Uh oh, that doesn't look good," EyeZ said, eyeing the bandages around his leg. But before he could finish his sentence, he was suddenly pulled into the river, unable to see anything in the murky water.

Panicking, EyeZ quickly shot a laser toward a flash of purple light lurking underneath the surface. With a burst of adrenaline, he managed to free himself from the bandages and swim to safety on the other side of the river.

"What the heck just happened, what he heck was that?!" EyeZ exclaimed as more bandages pulled out and held him.

As EyeZ tried to escape the tightening grip of the bandages, he fired a series of lasers at them, disintegrating them one after the other. But soon, he found himself ensnared by one that wrapped itself tightly around his waist and then his body.

Not one to give up easily, EyeZ summoned all his strength and directed a powerful laser throughout his entire body, breaking free from the bandage's hold.

"You messed with the wrong hero!" EyeZ yelled, feeling a surge of energy course through him as the Omnitrix started blinking between green and white.

Thinking quickly, EyeZ used his powers to freeze the river water with his center eye, effectively trapping the bandages in ice.

As the Omnitrix's glow subsided, Cameron transformed back into his human form and jumped up and down with excitement. However, his joy was short-lived when he heard the sound of the bandages hitting against the ice. Realizing that he needed to get away quickly, Cameron ran off, his heart racing with adrenaline.

➜ [ In the Meanwhile ]

The camera pans to a frozen river with a visible crack in the center, and in the foreground, a mummy is seen walking along the riverbank with water dripping off its bandages. The camera zooms in on the mummy's face, and its eyes glow brightly.

➜ [ Moments Later, at the dinner venue ]

Cameron and his mother walked towards a group of relatives seated at a round table. As they approached, an older woman with a warm smile stood up and embraced them.

: Cameron and his mother were both wearing formal clothing, mainly a dark tuks and dark dress.

"Cameron, it's so good to see you," she said, patting his back.

Cameron hugged her back, momentarily pausing before asking, "Do you remember me, Auntie?"

"Of course, I do," the woman replied, laughing. "You're getting so big, I hardly recognized you. Are you doing well in school?"

Cameron's mother chimed in, "Yes, he's doing great. Always on honor roll."

Cameron gave his mother a skeptical look because that wasn't true.

Auntie beamed with pride. "That's wonderful to hear. Your mother raised you right, Cameron."

Cameron blushed, but before he could reply, his mother interjected. "Speaking of raising right, have you seen my sister around? I need to speak with her."

Auntie nodded. "She's sitting over there with Uncle George."

Celec and Cameron made their way over to, Sandra, Celec's sister.

"Oh, my God, it's been so long!" Celec exclaimed, giving Sandra a big hug.

"Yes, it has," Sandra replied, smiling warmly at her sister and nephew. "How have you been?"

"We've been busy, but good," Celec said. "Cameron's growing up so fast, aren't you, honey?"

Cameron forced a smile. "Yeah, I guess," he said, feeling self-conscious as Sandra looked at him.

"Well, you know, I have a little surprise for you, Cameron," Sandra said, reaching into her purse. "Your cousin, Michael, is here, and she's been dying to see you."

Cameron's heart sank. He remembered Michael as a loud and hyperactive little boy who always wanted attention.

"Oh, that's nice," Celec said, beaming at her sister. "But don't you think it's a little late for him to be here?"

"I know, I know," Sandra said, shrugging. "But I had to bring him with me, and I have to attend to some urgent business. Can you take care of him for a little while?"

Celec hesitated. "I don't know, Sandra. Cameron's not really a kid-person."

"I can take care of myself, Mom," Cameron said, hoping to avoid the responsibility of babysitting his little cousin.

"Oh, don't be silly, Cameron," Sandra said, handing him Michael's hand. "He'll be good, I promise. And you're family, after all. It's only for a little while."

Cameron reluctantly took Michael's hand. "Okay," he said. "But if he gets too annoying, I'm ditching him."

Sandra laughed. "I'm sure you'll have fun," she said, before hurrying off.

Cameron glared at his mother. "I can't believe you agreed to this," he muttered.

Celec shrugged. "What else could I do?" she said. "We're family, and we help each other out."

After the meet and greet everyone sat in there seats and one by one, they stood and made heartfelt toasts to the deceased person.

One of the uncle's, a tall man with a deep voice, started things off. "To my brother - he was a true king. He loved his family with all his heart, and we will always remember his devotion."

One of the aunt's, a regal lady with a colorful headwrap, was next. "To my husband - he embodied love, strength, and wisdom. His memory will live on forever in our hearts."

As the toasts continued, Cameron found that he was unable to find the little cousin he and his mother were supposed to take care of.

"I think Michael is gone." Cameron whispered.

"Well, then, go find him!"

"Why me? You're the one who promised to keep an eye on him, not me, so you should go find him or something."

"Boy-"

Cameron got up and headed off to find his little cousin, muttering the conversation he had with his mother in a mocking tone. He searched through most of the standard areas of the house, but he was left with the locked rooms that he couldn't access.

"I could use the omnitrix; MicroMech, 0verspeed or even KillerSlugg... but mom will clearly notice and then I'll get my ass handed to me for sure. Ugh."

With no other choice, Cameron went to look for the keys. He checked all the usual spots, but still came up empty-handed.

Cameron blurted out, his frustration building up. "I'm just gonna go alien because this is ridiculous!"

Glancing out the window of the living room, Cameron noticed his little cousin standing outside near the woods, staring intently at a purple light emanating from within the forest.

A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he thought to himself, "Definitely a good excuse to transform!"

Cameron transformed into 0verspeed using the omnitrix and dashed outside.

"Right on-"

He spotted the boy being dragged into the forest by bandaged mummies and headed towards him with lightning speed, dodging trees and branches as he went. As he approached, one of the bandages tripped him up, causing him to fall.

Hey!" 0verspeed shouted and quickly got back on his feet. "That's cheating!" He rushed towards the child and kicked away the bandage that caused him to fall.

As more bandages lunged at him, 0verspeed expertly countered with quick strikes and evasive maneuvers, utilizing the surrounding forestry to his advantage.

Perplexed by the bizarre situation, he muttered to himself, "What the hell is going on here? It's either toilet paper gone rogue or some villain is behind it all- what am I saying? Of course it's a villain."

The child was slowly getting further away from him due to the pull the bandages had on the child. This frustrated Overspeed, and he tried to speed up, but the other bandages kept distracting him. The trees on his side didn't help either, seeming to be working against him.

0verspeed quickly caught up to the child and freed him from the bandages, holding him close to ensure he was safe. "Oh yeah, who's the hero, yep this guy," he said confidently, pointing to himself. "Bet if I run I'll make it before dinner ends- what am I saying of course I will."

A ton more bandages shot out of the forest, causing 0verspeed to quickly drop his visor and accelerate away.

"These things really don't quit!"

He continued, trying to outrun the stretchy bandages that were aimed at him. Despite his speed, some bandages were popping out from nowhere, making it difficult for 0verspeed to stay on course.

The bandages repeatedly forced 0verspeed to change direction, making it seem hopeless that they would ever reach the house. But the hero knew he had to take action.

Stopping in his tracks, 0verspeed turned to face the oncoming bandages while still holding the child. "If it's a fight you want, then it's a..." His words were cut off as the Omnitrix started blinking between green and white, causing 0verspeed to sigh in frustration. "Seriously? Now of all times?"

0verspeed quickly scanned his surroundings until his eyes landed on a nearby tree. Without hesitation, the speedy alien raced towards the tree, running around it in circles until he disappeared from sight.

The bandages continued to move forward, but suddenly pulled back as if confused by 0verspeed's disappearance.

Cameron let out a relieved sigh, perched atop a tree with his sleeping little cousin on his back. "That was a close one," he muttered to himself.

Cameron carried the little boy on his back to the nearby hotel they had camped at while bantering to himself.

Meanwhile, Cameron's mother grew worried about his absence at the funeral dinner and left to check on him.

Celec wondered where Cameron could have gone. "Ugh, I hope he didn't run off," she thought to herself, "but he knows how important this is to me... Or maybe he doesn't?"

She searched for Cameron by looking in the same places he had searched for his cousin earlier.

"I should have talked to him more," she mused, "It's not his fault that he's not close to my family, and I can't blame Kayden either. I feel like this one is my fault."

Celec searched for Cameron in a couple of places before hearing a rustling sound coming from the basement.

"Cameron is that-"

When she went to investigate, she stumbled upon a mummy digging for something. The mummy noticed Celec and screeched at her, causing her to flee into the dinner room, shouting for everyone to leave. However, they didn't believe her until the mummy crashed through the wall.

"Here comes the Calvary!" H2hydr0 broke through from the ceiling, with his cousin on his back, "That was super cool!" He squeaked in excitement.

He turned to his mother who already knew the protocol and escorted everyone out and took the sleeping child.

"Alright Mummy guy, you've caused me enough problems."

H2hydr0 sent a powerful wave of water towards the Mummy Alien, but the wrappings surrounding the Mummy absorbed it.

"I don't know what you're after, but this is the last time you're gonna mess with my family!"

The Mummy Alien then used the furniture in the room by throwing it at H2hydr0, which H2hydr0 managed to avoid with his quick movement. H2hydr0 attempted to weaken the Mummy Alien with a tsunami, but the

Mummy Alien was able to avoid the wave by pulling up to the ceiling lantern.

"Dude!" H2hydr0 shouted shooting the lantern which resulted in both the mummy and the lantern dropping onto one of the dinner tables. "I'm sorry, we just we'rent on the same level."

H2hydr0 charged at the Mummy, delivering a series of swift punches that backed the creature into a corner. However, the Mummy was quick to counter and wrapped H2hydr0 with its mummy bandages, trapping him completely.

"We've been through this BEFORE!" H2hydr0 exclaimed as he exploded out of the bandage wraps using a burst of water that shot out from his gauntlets. "Yeah, I know I'm just that good." H2hydr0 added.

The Mummy fixed a menacing glare on H2hydr0, but the alien remained cool and confident. As the Mummy lurched forward, H2hydr0 boosted up to meet it, ready to do battle. However, to his surprise, the Mummy passed him by, stopping behind him and picking up some sort of strange device from his hand.

H2hydr0 whirled around to face his opponent, but the Mummy was nowhere to be seen.

"... I guess that's a wrap..." H2hydr0 pinned.

[ Moments Later ]

As they drove away from the family gathering, Cameron turned to his mother with a new confidence. "You know what, mom?" he said, a smile spreading across his face. "That wasn't so bad after all."

His mother seemed surprised at the change in her son's attitude. "Really?" she asked.

"Really. In fact, I think I might make more of an effort to visit your side of the family in the future."

His mother couldn't hide her delight at Cameron's newfound enthusiasm for family gatherings. "That's great to hear, sweetie," she said, reaching over to give his hand a squeeze.

Cameron leaned back in his seat and let out a satisfied sigh. "It's not like I really had a choice anyway," he added with a chuckle. "But I'm glad I came. It was nice seeing everyone."

Editors Note - Even though Cameron's mother wasn't a big part of this chapter, she was still there, lately I've noticed how she has barely been apart of the story.