Hey, how's it going?

~Omniscient Pov~

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"So, you're saying whoever's coming, we know them?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair.

Max nodded, his expression unreadable, though a hint of something deeper flickered in his eyes—an emotion Ben couldn't quite place, but if he had to put a name to it, it was clear guilt... "Yes, Ben. You both know him… in a way." He glanced at Gwen, who looked just as puzzled but curious, her brows furrowed a bit at the game her grandfather was playing.

*Knock! Knock!*

Maxwell turned towards the door swiftly, 'They're here already? He sighed, getting up begrudgingly before he could even explain the situation a bit more to his grandchildren...

As he walked towards the door, he peeked through the hole, seeing Carter waiting patiently.

Max opened the door slowly, revealing Carter, who looked up with a small smile. They regarded each other for a small moment, a silent exchange passing between them. However, When he looked passed his old comrade; Until he had seen the boy—no, the young man he hadn't seen for almost 6 months...

Max's hand froze on the door handle for a split second, the sight of the young man beside Carter catching him entirely off guard. His mind stuttered as he took in the familiar yet strikingly different face. The kid he remembered was gone—replaced by someone taller, leaner, with an unmistakable edge in his stance. There was no mistaking the maturity in those eyes or the way he held himself.

'Is... Is that, Alex?' He had wondered about it instantly. He didn't feel like a child. He had an edge to him that most plumbers held in the force. However, it was the physical changes that had surprised him the most... 'He shot up.' That's all he could think.

The boy must have been 5 feet before, and now he's well over that, maybe another half of a feet taller. His face had looked different, less chubby and more pronounced, like he shed all the baby fat away...

"Is that really you, Alex?" The words tumbled out, uncharacteristically hesitant.

The young man grinned, flashing a familiar, lopsided smile as he raised a hand in a casual salute. "Yo! Did ya miss me?"

Max studied him for another moment, marveling at the transformation. It wasn't just the height—Alex had an air of confidence now, a readiness that genuinely reminded Max of the seasoned Plumbers he'd trained with back in his youth, and that wasn't something normal for someone who's just 13 years old... Alex had the look of someone who'd been through the wringer and come out stronger...

Behind him, Ben and Gwen finally got a full view of their unexpected visitor. Ben's jaw dropped slightly, and Gwen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. They had barely recognized Alex from the few times he'd crossed paths with them before. It was like looking at an entirely different person.

"Whoa…" Ben mumbled, crossing his arms as he gave Alex an approving once-over. "Look who decided to grow up while we weren't looking." Not to say they hadn't grown as well, both Ben and Gwen and grown to 5 feet during their time away from each other, both looking more mature too.

Still, Alex rolled his eyes, but the smile remained on his face, "Could say the same about you, Ben. Last time I saw you, you were getting in trouble for taking your Grandpa's van out without asking."

Gwen stifled a laugh as Ben scowled, but even he couldn't hide his smile for long. "I don't think that was ever in my 'kid phase,'" Ben replied, his tone light but with a spark of friendly snarky remark, "But hey, you're looking… good."

Gwen stepped forward, her expression softening as she looked Alex over again. Not having seen him for the past few months had been frustrating—more than she wanted to admit. But now, seeing him standing here with that easygoing grin and newfound confidence, her irritation melted away. "It's good to see you, Alex. Really," she said warmly. "We didn't expect you back so soon, but… you're definitely a sight for sore eyes."

Her words seemed innocent enough, but the way she said that last bit wasn't so much so, and it caused Carter, Ben, Max, and even Alex himself to pause; glancing at her with surprised expressions.

She looked up, suddenly aware of the stares. "What?" she asked, brow furrowing. "Is there something wrong, or is there something on my face?"

Ben raised an eyebrow, giving her a look that silently said, Think about what you just said. Gwen's eyes widened in realization, her own words catching up to her. She cast a quick, embarrassed glance back at Alex, who was trying to suppress a smirk.

"I! Wha—? No! That's!!… I—I'm heading in first!" she stammered, feeling a rush of heat rise to her cheeks. Without another word, she spun on her heel and marched into the house, cheeks still glowing pink.

The rest of them stood there, momentarily stunned, until Ben broke into a laugh, shaking his head as he gave Alex a playful nudge. "Guess you made more of an impression than you thought, sight-for-sore-eyes."

Alex chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Didn't really expect that," he muttered, glancing at the doorway where Gwen had disappeared.

"ErHem!" Max nudged and sighed, amused as he gestured for everyone to follow her inside. "Well, now that we've all had our moment of… Surprises, let's head in."

They walked in, Carter and Max exchanging knowing looks, while Alex couldn't help but feel a new warmth at the idea of being back with people he somewhat knew.

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About an hour had passed since Alex's arrival, and the initial excitement had mellowed into a warm, easygoing atmosphere in the Tennyson household. Ben and Gwen were in the living room with Alex, catching up and trading stories while the room filled with laughter and the occasional good-natured teasing. Meanwhile, Carter and Max had slipped away to the kitchen, where they now sat, each with a drink in hand.

Carter took a sip, glancing over the rim of his glass before giving Max a knowing smile. "Told ya you'd be surprised," he said, his tone half-amused, half-serious.

Max leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping his lips. "That's one way to put it," he replied, shaking his head as he thought back to seeing Alex at the door, so changed yet still carrying the spark Max remembered. "I knew he'd grown up some, but seeing it in person?… It's hard to believe it's only been a few months..."

Max still found all this hard to fathom. The transition was too great for a child his age. It would be a lie to say he wasn't concerned.

"Yeah, that's what training does. At least, that's what I thought it would do..." Carter said, however Max caught the tone, and didn't let it slip by him.

"Care to explain what that is then?" he asked, genuinely curious. Carter sighed for a moment, looking into the distance and back towards his friend, "I ran some blood checks with the kid, and I've seen something quite interesting."

Max sat in patience, realizing this might be one lengthy explanation...

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Feigning casual curiosity, Alex glanced over at Ben with a small, intrigued smile. "Hey, Ben… I heard you can transform into aliens? Is that actually true?"

Ben shot him a suspicious look, his eyes narrowing slightly, "You mean, like with the Omnitrix?" His tone was wary, and Alex could tell he wasn't used to people asking this kind of question unless they already knew him well...

Alex shrugged, keeping up his act. "That's what I heard," he said, raising an eyebrow in mock disbelief. "But honestly, it sounds a little… out there."

Gwen, seated nearby and watching Alex with a hint of amusement, leaned in, her eyes glinting knowingly. "You wouldn't be the first one to doubt him," she said with a small smirk. "But yeah, it's true. Ben's… full of surprises."

Ben, however, looked a little more guarded, "Why are you so curious?" he asked, his arms crossing over his chest. He didn't let his suspicion completely show, but it was clear he was sizing Alex up, not for confrontation of course.

Alex simply chuckled, holding up his hands in mock innocence, "Hey, I'm just curious. Carter's told me some wild stories when I was with em', so I figured I'd see if they're true." He gave Ben a casual smile, hoping it came across as genuine enough.

Ben's eyes flicked between Alex and Gwen, clearly weighing whether he wanted to reveal his powers to Alex... But after a beat, his expression shifted. There was a hint of smugness in his smile now, as if deciding he'd give Alex a preview just to watch his reaction...

"Alright, fine. Just a quick demonstration," Ben said, activating the Omnitrix with a practiced flick of his wrist. The dial glowed bright green, casting an eerie light around the room as he cycled through his options. Finally, with a satisfied nod, he selected one, slamming his hand down on the dial.

In a flash, Ben's body transformed, elongating and shimmering as he morphed into a towering, crystal-skinned figure—Diamondhead. The transformation left him literally gleaming under the room's lights, his crystalline form reflecting in all directions.

Alex's jaw dropped, despite already knowing what to somewhat expect. Seeing it in person was vastly different, even more astonishing than he'd anticipated. He did his best to feign complete surprise, but the awe in his eyes was genuine. "Whoa…" he breathed, unable to contain it. "That's… that's incredible."

Diamondhead crossed his arms, his crystalline mouth twisting into a proud grin, "Believe me now?" he asked, his voice deeper and resonant in this alien form.

Alex chuckled, shaking his head in wonder. "Alright, you got me. That's amazing," he admitted, nodding with respect. "Guess the stories weren't exaggerated after all." This was his genuine reaction. He had never seen an alien before this, but it looked amazing to him.

Ben soon powered down, returning to his normal form with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, it's pretty cool, I guess," he said with a nonchalant shrug, though he was clearly enjoying Alex's reaction. "Just one of the perks of wearing the Omnitrix."

Gwen leaned in with a knowing grin. "And that's just one alien. Ben's got a whole arsenal."

Alex gave Ben a respectful nod, playing up his awe, "Not bad, Tennyson. Not bad at all. I'd say you're one of a kind, but it sounds like you're more of a few dozen kinds." 

Gwen looked intently, slightly curious, "Though... I'm a little interested. What can you do? There must have been a reason why you're here, right?" She knew about the situation with Alex and her grandfather, so this wasn't too difficult to piece together; however, she didn't exactly think that Alex would be the one showing up today...

'Damn, she's a little sharper than I thought...' Alex thought a bit impressed. He didn't think she'd piece together that he was special in some way. She could have been wrong, and technically, she was. Alex didn't inherently have any special abilities, relatively speaking. He simply had the basic run of the mill enhanced strength, speed, toughness and decent skills to back it up...

Thinking for a moment, he finally decided, "Well, It's better to show you... Stay right there and don't move a muscle." Alex said, smiling to himself. He walked over to her sitting on the couch, and without much effort-

"Wait... What are W-Whoa!" Gwen's eyes widened as Alex, still smiling, effortlessly hoisted the entire couch with her on it as if it weighed nothing. She grabbed the edge of the couch instinctively, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with a mix of shock and newfound respect. "Okay, okay! Point taken!" Her expression shifted quickly from surprise to intrigue. "You're as strong as you look." She mumbled.

Ben let out a low whistle, folding his arms as he watched, "Not bad at all, Alex. I didn't expect that."

Alex gently set the couch back down, dusting his hands off with a satisfied grin. "Just a little something I picked up." he said with a casual shrug, though he was secretly pleased with their reactions. He'd been uncertain about how he'd fit into this new world, and showing off his strength made him feel like he had his own place amongst them, even if he wasn't exactly an alien hero.

"Is there anything else you can do?" Ben asked again.

Alex smirked, "Yeah, I can do, this!"

Before Ben or Gwen could blink, he vanished from their sight, leaving nothing but a faint gust of air in his wake. In an instant, he'd crossed the room, moving at a speed well over 120 miles per hour, easily blitzing their perceptions. He reappeared just behind them, leaning casually against the wall with a grin...

Ben spun around, his jaw dropping. "What the?! That was… insane!" He looked genuinely impressed, which wasn't something Alex had expected from the kid who could turn into aliens.

Gwen's eyes widened as she registered the feat. "That was… fast. Like, really fast. Not quite XLR8, but it seems pretty close," she admitted, clearly intrigued, 'I don't even sense magic enhancing him, or anything emanating off him really...' She thought.

"How'd you even—?"

Alex shrugged, acting casual even though he was enjoying the amazement on their faces. "A whole lot of training; plus, I'm improving fast." he said, trying to keep his tone light. In truth, he'd worked hard to hone these abilities, and seeing their reactions made it feel worth it. He might not have a super-watch or any alien forms, but his strength and speed were his own, and that was something he was damn proud of.

Ben's smirk returned, but this time it was more of a challenge than a reaction. "You're not half bad, Alex. You might actually be able to keep up with us." He grinned a little, obviously entertained by the idea.

Alex chuckled, crossing his arms. "Keep up? Heck, I might even give you a run for your money," he teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well... We can test that out tonight, what do ya' say?" Ben offered. Gwen drooped, not liking where this conversation was heading...

Alex on the other hand simply raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."

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END