Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gwen couldn’t help but tap her foot as she waited outside Kevin’s house, beach umbrella in hand. This was supposed to be their day off, what was taking the boys so long?

“Hurry up, we’re losing our light!” she shouted as she knocked her fist against the garage’s doorframe. Ben walked out, an amused grin on his face.

“We’re not losing the light. It’s 8 in the morning”, he said in an attempt to ease his cousin. “The beach is open all day.”

“You’re right…” Gwen sighed, her shoulders slouching. Ben smiled, thinking she’d finally relax… only to jump at her sudden shout of, “GET A MOVE ON, KEVIN!”

Her boyfriend peeled out of the garage, tires on his prized car screeching.

“Jeez, I’m comin’”, Kevin said, leaning out the open driver’s side window. “I’m like, five minutes late. What’s the big deal?” He flinched back a bit as Gwen got in his face, her glare visible even with her sunglasses on.

“I’ll tell you what the big deal is,” she started to rant. “I’ve been trying to go to the beach for a month, and every time we’re about to leave, something happens! Monster on the loose, alien invasion…”

“Sometimes it rains”, Ben joked. Gwen stood and turned to look at him.

“Well, not this time”, she stated. “This time…”

She was interrupted as two beings cloaked in blue suddenly appeared in front of the three. Their skin was a pale cream color, which made their solid blue eyes stand out all the more vividly. 

The taller of the two appeared to be male, judging by the small tendrils on their angular face that resembled a mustache. He wore a rather regal looking outfit, with a dark blue jewel holding the short, collared cape that adorned his shoulders in place, and a tall blue fez on his head. The other was wearing a blue hooded robe over what looked like a black dress, and had a rounder, more delicate-looking face, which had a sad expression as they held what looked like a large egg. What was most notable, was that the two seemed to be levitating a few inches off the ground. 

Kevin got out of the car as Gwen sighed.

“Just forget I said anything.”

“Greetings”, the taller being said calmly. “I am Ambassador Zaw-Veenull, from the planet Lewoda. We are seeking Ben Tennyson.” Ben raised his hand, giving a small wave.

“Present”, he said. “What’s up?”

“We hope you will undertake a delicate mission, on our behalf”, Zaw-Veenull explained. “Only the legendary Ben Tennyson has the reputation and the skill to accomplish it.” Ben, beaming, leaned over to Gwen and Kevin.

“That’s because I saved the…” he began to whisper, only for them to interrupt.

“Whole entire universe”, they droned in exasperated unison. Gwen then gave him a pointed look as she crossed her arms.

“We know.”

“Sorry”, Ben replied sheepishly. “It’s just that no matter how many times I say it, it still feels surreal.” He then looked to the ambassador. “So, what’s this mission exactly?” Zaw-Veenull gave him a gracious smile.

“You must deliver this treasure,” he said, motioning to the large egg in the other Lewodan’s arms. “So that peace may reign between the Lewodans and our foes, the Pantophage.” The frown on his companion’s face only seemed to deepen at this as their grip slightly tightened on the egg, which Ben noticed. He was about to speak up, only for Kevin to step forward.

“Treasure, you say?” he asked, clearly interested. Ben rolled his eyes. If the possibility of a payday was involved, Kevin was automatically in. Zaw-Veenull gestured to the egg as the Lewodan holding it solemnly pushed a green button near the bottom of it. The egg opened, and out levitated a small creature that resembled a large dollop of whipped cream. It’s large blue eyes shined with curiosity as it let out a whistling coo. Gwen couldn’t help but smile at how oddly cute it was. Ben, however, was a bit more puzzled. They were being asked to escort a baby?

“Allow me to present the Tiffin”, Zaw-Veenull said. “Our Crown Prince, if you will.” The Tiffin floated closer to them. Kevin raised an eyebrow.

“Cute, if you’re into cotton swabs”, he murmured. The ambassador’s companion looked down as the egg vanished from their arms. Gwen approached them with a friendly smile.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name”, she said. The Lewodan looked back at her for a brief moment before finally speaking.

“I am Cicely“, was the quiet reply, in a voice distinctly feminine. “She who bore him.” Now her sad expression made sense to Ben. She was the little guy’s mother. Kevin leaned against his car and looked at the ambassador.

“So, it’s like a hostage exchange”, he said, which was met by a surprised look on Zaw-Veenull’s face.

“Hostage? Oh, no. No no no”, he responded hastily, shaking his head before clasping his hands together. “It is simply a show of trust, to demonstrate our sincere desire for peace with the Pantophage. Isn’t that right, Cicely?” The Tiffin’s mother gave him a resigned look.

“Yes, of course, Ambassador”, she said quietly. 

As this conversation was happening, however, the Tiffin had hovered close to Ben, looking at the Omnitrix with childlike wonder. That’s when the watch starting giving off blue sparks, to both of their surprise. Ben raised his wrist to get a closer look, but just as quickly as it started, it stopped. He stared at it, checking to see if he hadn’t imagined it, only for Zaw-Veenull’s voice to grab his attention.

“Is anything wrong, Ben Tennyson?” he asked in concern, having not noticed the sparks. Ben looked up, now seeing that everyone was looking at him. He glanced at the watch again. It wasn’t sparking.

“Wrong? Me? No, I’m good.” he answered, shrugging it off. Zaw-Veenull smiled.

“Excellent”, he said, reaching into his robe and pulling out a small, golden cube. “Now, this credit cube is for your expenses.” Kevin then stepped forward

“Is that a gold cube?” he asked, gently taking the cube and examining it. “I’ve never seen one before. They don’t have any spending limit!” The Tiffin, still exploring his strange new surroundings, floated into Gwen’s arms. She then looked at Zaw-Veenull.

“How are we supposed to get the Tiffin where he needs to go?” she asked. He smiled at her.

“Well, of course we will supply you a ship”, he answered with a wave of his hand. Just then, a large spacecraft teleported into the street in front of them, nearly taking out two trees and triggering a nearby car alarm. The ship wasn’t really the sleekest-looking, in fact it barely looked pieced together, with a few rusted spots. Gwen eyed it skeptically.

“We’re supposed to fly in that thing?” she asked. Kevin, on the other hand, was grinning like a kid in a toy store.

“Absolutely”, he exclaimed, handing the credit cube back to Ben as he approached the ship. “That’s a Tachyon 930. Ugly on the outside, but all engine on the inside. I’m driving!” He then ran up the boarding dock. “Whoo-hoo! Road trip!” Ben let out a small chuckle as he and Gwen rolled their eyes. He then pocketed the credit cube and looked at Zaw-Veenull and Cicely.

“Don’t worry, Ambassador”, he said. “We’ll get the Tiffin to his destination. You have my word.”

The two Lewodans gave him a respectful bow, and he and Gwen started up the ship’s loading dock. As Gwen walked past him, he briefly stopped and looked back to give them a thumbs up. That’s when he saw the Omnitrix spark again, and he quickly covered it with his hand with a sheepish smile. Gwen noticed it this time, and looked at him as he boarded the ship.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered. He shrugged at her. 

“No clue”, he replied. “But this isn’t the weirdest thing the watch has done, so it’s probably nothing, right?” Gwen frowned as the two of them headed into the cockpit. Kevin was already in the driver’s seat, raring to go.

“Let’s head out, everybody”, he urged. “I’m itching to get a feel on how this baby flies!”

“Hold on, Kevin”, Ben intervened. “Before we blast off, we need to make a quick stop at the base.” Kevin and Gwen both looked at him quizzically.

“Why?” Gwen asked.

“Well, think about it”, Ben said. “The Tiffin isn’t just a vital part of this peace treaty, but he’s basically royalty. Which means a lot of bad guys are probably gonna come after him. I’m thinking we should bring along one of the guys as some extra muscle, to keep him safe.”

“That’s… actually a good point”, Gwen smiled at him. “Great idea, Ben.” Kevin smirked.

“Who are you, and what have you done with Tennyson?” he snarked. Ben rolled his eyes.

“Shut up”, he lightheartedly jabbed back. “Let’s get going. The Lewodans are counting on us.”

“Alright then, strap in,” Kevin said, starting the ship. “Next stop; Tennyson family base.” 

The Tiffin was exploring the interior of the ship, cooing happily as Ben kept a close eye on him. Meanwhile, Gwen sat in the passenger seat, glancing back at them.

“Something’s not right”, she mused, turning to Kevin.

“What do you mean?” he asked. “This ship is like straight off the showroom floor.”

“I don’t mean the ship”, she responded. “I just have a feeling that Ambassador hasn’t told us the whole story.” Kevin smirked at her.

“Of course not. Ambassadors lie. That’s their job.”

“And you aren’t curious about what’s really going on?”

“Nope.”

“And you think it’s right to use a baby to seal a peace treaty?”

“So the Prince grows up in castle number 1 or castle number 2. What’s the diff?”

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Ben was listening in, and he honestly had to agree with Gwen. He hadn’t forgotten the look on Cicely’s face. There was more to this than what they’d been told, and that was another reason why he wanted to bring one of his brothers along.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the old Plumber warehouse on the outskirts of Bellwood.  Ben smiled as he caught sight of Ditto and two of his copies playing with Wildmutt. And as soon as they got off the ship, he found himself tackled by the very excited Vulpimancer.

“Okay, Wildmutt, okay”, he laughed as he was getting relentlessly slobbered. “I’m happy to see you too! Now down, boy!” 

“Ben!” The happy yells of the three Dittos, followed by a shrill whistle, pierced the air, and Wildmutt bounded off of Ben and towards the source; it was one of the Dittos, who was waving a frisbee in his hand. 

“C’mon, boy!” he said, and threw the frisbee as far as he could. “Fetch!” Wildmutt took off after it, with him trailing not too far behind. The other two Dittos approached as Kevin helped Ben to his feet.

“Hey, Ben!” one of the Dittos exclaimed. “Ya wanna play a round of basketball with us?”

“Please?” the other begged. “It’s been way too long!” Ben gave them a sympathetic smile.

“Sorry, Ditto, I can’t”, he explained. “We’re actually about to head out on a mission. But I’ll definitely play with you as soon as we get back.” The Dittos drooped a bit at this.

“Okay…” they said. Then one asked, “So what’s the mission for?”

“We have to escort this little guy for a peace negotiation”, Gwen explained, the Tiffin in her arms. The Dittos beamed.

“Awwwwwwwww”, they cooed. “He’s so cute!” And they immediately started to play with him, one doing peek-a-boo and the other making silly faces. The Tiffin giggled at their antics, which made Ben smile at the sight.

“Is Diamondhead home?” he asked.

“Yep”, one of the Dittos responded, far to occupied with the Tiffin to even look at him. “He’s inside.” Ben nodded, and they headed inside, the Dittos following.

Diamondhead had been easy to find; he was in the main living room talking to NRG when the group walked in.

“Hello, Ben”, he greeted. “We weren’t expecting a visit. Gwen told us it was you three’s day off.” Ben shrugged.

“We had a last minute change of plans”, he explained. “The Ambassador of Lewoda asked us to escort their crown Prince to seal a peace treaty with the Pantophage.” Diamondhead glanced over at Gwen and Kevin. The Dittos were still playing with the Tiffin not too far away from them.

“I see. So what brings you here?” he asked. Ben was quick to respond.

“I was thinking of asking one of the guys to come along as extra muscle, to keep the Tiffin safe on the way there.”

“Not a bad idea”, Diamondhead responded. “Unfortunately, Four Arms and Humongousaur are away on missions themselves, and won’t be back for another day or two.” Ben caught sight of someone out of the corner of his eye. 

“Oh, that’s fine”, he said. “I actually had someone else in mind.” Diamondhead gave a nod.

“Alright. I’ll leave you to that. Call when the mission is over, okay?”

“Okay”, Ben replied, waving as Diamondhead headed off to do his own thing. He then walked over to one of the other aliens in the room. “Hey, Shocksquatch!” The Gimlinopithecus in question looked up and smiled.

“Hey, Ben! What’s up?”

“Rath isn’t on any missions today, is he?”

Gwen and Kevin, who hadn’t been fully listening to the conversation, did a double take at this.

“Did… did he say who I think he just said?” Gwen asked. Kevin nodded numbly.

“Yep.”

“No, I don’t think he is”, Shocksquatch said. “Last I saw, he was in one of the training rooms with Cannonbolt. I can go get him if ya want.” Ben nodded at him, and he was on his way.

Ben grinned, but suddenly felt himself get jerked by the arm, and was met with the utterly gobsmacked expressions of his cousin and friend.

“Rath?! Dude, are you insane?!” Kevin objected in a harsh whisper as he let go of Ben’s arm. Gwen shot her boyfriend a pointed look, then gave Ben a look of concern.

“Ben, are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked. “This is a peace treaty mission, which has to be handled delicately. And Rath is… well…”

“He’s ‘punch first, ask questions never’”, Kevin deadpanned. He then rubbed the back of his head. “I know that better than anyone, remember?”

Ben couldn’t help but cringe a bit at that. Oh, he definitely remembered…

A few months back, before the whole insanity with the Highbreed nearly destroying the universe, there had been a rather… interesting incident.

Big Chill’s Necrofriggian instincts briefly overtook the Omnitrix, and by extension, Ben himself, in order to build a nest for their offspring. This was the catalyst for Ben making the decision to try recreating the glitch that released his alien siblings 5 years before. And he was able to… with the begrudging help of Azmuth, of course.

The second glitch happened relatively stress-free, since they had a good idea of what they were getting into. Although this time around, much to everyone’s surprise, Ben and the other aliens found themselves with over 30 new brothers after all was said and done. He could practically feel poor Grey Matter’s oncoming migraine over the prospect of him and Upgrade needing to add roughly 3 dozen new extensions/rooms to the warehouse. 

But out of all the new members of his now much bigger family, Rath had by far made the biggest first impression.

The Appoplexian not only named himself (and rather loudly, at that) mere seconds after his “birth”, but got into a brawl with Kevin, which resulted in the latter nearly getting a concussion. Gwen had to restrain him with her powers so he wouldn’t cause any more damage, and ultimately wound up knocking him out.

While giving him some time to cool down, and one quick search on the A.L.D.B. later, the trio learned more about Rath’s species; Appoplexians are powerful, argumentative and extremely aggressive. They believe any problem can be solved by hitting it (to which Rath had rebutted, “Sometimes you have to hit things a lot!”), and apparently their way of saying hello was fighting whoever they meet as a show of dominance. Grey Matter made a quick note to reinforce the base’s training rooms so he wouldn’t break anything.

But despite the rocky start and his aggressive demeanor, Rath had quickly found a place in their family. He, along with Shocksquatch, hit it off almost immediately with Four Arms and Cannonbolt, due to their shared love of wrestling. The four of them are constantly competing to see who’s the best fighter in the family. They’re all currently tied.

And even though he comes across as aggressively aloof, he is always willing to throw down for the sake of his family.

“Look, I know Rath can be a bit… much”, Ben explained. “But I also know for a fact that he is one of the most fiercely protective members of our family, especially when it comes to kids. If anyone would guard the Tiffin with his life, it’s him.” Gwen looked at him uneasily.

“Okay, if you say so…”

“Found him!” Shocksquatch called out as he and Rath entered the room. Ben grinned up at them.

“Hey, Rath. Wanna come on a mission with us?”

“HELL YEAH, I DO!” Rath grinned back.

“I really hope Ben knows what he’s doing”, Kevin muttered under his breath. Gwen could only nod.

Chapter Text

To be fair, the mission didn’t start as smoothly as Ben hoped. The Tiffin was a bit intimidated by Rath, hovering close to Ben. The Omnitrix continued to occasionally spark, to the point that it began to faintly sting. 

“Hey, it’s okay, little guy”, Ben soothed the young Lewodan. “I know Rath looks kinda scary, but he would never hurt you, I promise.” This seemed to placate the Tiffin just enough, as he continued to hover around the ship occasionally looking at Rath with a curious look on his face. 

It had barely been an hour into their journey before a loud rumbling filled the cockpit of the ship, catching everyone’s attention.

“Anybody else hungry?” It had been Rath’s stomach. And since the mission had been so last-minute that they didn’t even have time to pack snacks for he trip, Ben made the quick decision to have Kevin land at a nearby “intergalactic truck stop”, for lack of a better term, to grab something to eat. Because while Rath’s temper was normally short enough as it is, it’s even worse when he’s hungry. Putting the Tiffin into his carrier egg, the four of them headed inside.

“Remember, we’re on a schedule”, Gwen said as they entered the large restaurant and bar. Ben and Kevin gave an affirmative nod. 

“What for?” Rath asked, tilting his head. Gwen looked up at him incredulously. Ben had given him a rundown of the mission before they left. She knew the Appoplexian could have a short attention span, but had he really already forgotten? 

“To deliver the Tiffin”, she reminded him, glancing down at the egg carrier in her arms. “Stop a war.”

“Whatever”, Rath said dismissively, then perked up at the sight of a waiter droid carrying a food tray rolling past them. “Food robot!” Ben and Gwen sighed as he immediately went after it.

“I’ll keep an eye on him”, Ben said as he followed after his brother. “Be back in a few minutes.” Gwen nodded, glancing around the room as she placed the egg on the bar to give her arms a rest.

“Just get some snacks so we can go.” Not long after Ben headed off after Rath, a familiar voice got her and Kevin’s attention.

“Go where?” Kevin looked at the voice’s owner and smiled.

“What do you know,” he said. Gwen inwardly groaned. Of all people to run into on this mission, why did it have to be…

“Argit!” Kevin greeted his old friend, though even calling him that would be debatable. The quilled opossum-like alien grinned up at him.

“Kevin”, he greeted back as the two engaged in a friendly handshake. “Long time, no see!” He then looked at Gwen, their eyes narrowing at each other. “Gwendolyn.”

“Argit”, she scowled back, then picked the egg back up. “We were just leaving.”

“Hey, what’s the big rush?” he asked as she attempted to walk as far away from him as she could. Kevin smirked at him.

“We are on a mission to deliver some major cargo; the Tiffin of Lewoda”, he explained, gesturing to the egg. Gwen instinctively tightened her hold on it. He then leaned against the bar. “I can’t cut you in on this one, though. It’s like, for charity.” 

“I understand, old buddy”, Argit said, a noticeable glint in his eyes. “Listen, they just called my order, I’ll catch you later.” And with that he slinked off. 

“Kevin”, Gwen said sharply. He turned back to look at her.

“What?”

“Why would you tell him about that? He’s a con man who would sell his own mother for lunch money!”

“I happen to know, he got top dollar for his mom”, he attempted to joke. Gwen only continued to glare at him.

“I’m serious, Kevin! He’s sold you out before to save his own skin. Not to mention that every time we run into him, we almost get killed!”

“Are you saying you don’t like my friends?”

“No, I’m saying he’s not your friend!”

Before their argument could escalate and further, the doors of the dining area suddenly opened.

“Okay, don’t nobody interested in stayin’ alive move!” A deep southern voice rung out, getting the attention of everyone. Standing there were two gray-skinned men armed with blasters, one short and thin wearing a jacket and baseball cap, the other large and imposing wearing red overalls.

It went without saying that the cafe patrons were shocked by the sudden intruders, but the ones most surprised to see them were Kevin and Gwen.

“The Vreedles?!” Kevin exclaimed.

“Yep”, the shorter of the two confirmed, gesturing to himself then his companion. “I’m Octagon, and this here’s my brother Rhomboid.”

“‘Sup?” the larger Vreedle said. “Call me Boid.” 

“But…” Gwen couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The last time the team had crossed paths with the Vreedles, it… hadn’t ended well for the brothers. “We saw you two go up in an explosion.”

“Yeah, that sort of thing occurs on a fairly regular basis”, Octagon said with a shrug. “We’re what you might call clones.” Rhomboid nodded at this.

“Mm-hm, our folks used a home kit to make us.”

“Boid…” Octagon shot his brother a look.

“They bought a lot.”

“Boid!”

“It was on sale, what, with it bein’ past the ‘best if used by’ date. Spoiled, I guess, is what’d you call—”, he didn’t get to finish, as Octagon quickly interjected.

“But all that falls under the category of personal-type business that we do NOT share with strangers… Boid.”

“Oh, that’s right”, Rhomboid scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. “I forgot.”

“Now hand over the Tiffin so’s we can hold him for ransom”, Octagon demanded. Gwen glared back at him, holding the egg protectively.

“Not gonna happen.”

“Then we got ourselves a little disagreement”, the Vreedle responded darkly as he and his brother cocked their weapons. Kevin slightly flinched.

“All things considered, I think we should give ‘em the Tiffin”, he said. Gwen shot him a look. It was at this moment Ben walked up to them, carrying a large to-go bag, and looking less than amused.

“Dude.”

“What?” Kevin asked defensively.

“LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, KEVIN LEVIN”, Rath shouted as he followed behind, holding a tray piled with food. “NOBODY’S GIVING NOBODY NOTHING!” 

The sight of Ben had already put the Vreedle brothers on edge, but Rath’s arrival made that spike even further.

“Is that a Appoplexian?!” Rhomboid exclaimed. 

“Yep, and they’re even stupider and meaner than we are”, Octagon confirmed, before adding in a more hushed tone, “We’re gonna need what you might call an edge.” He then turned to the bar patrons. “Listen up! One thousand credits to anybody what joins up with us!” 

At that incentive, nearly half of the aliens in the place stood, arming themselves and beginning to advance on the group. Gwen and Kevin tensed up, ready to get into fighting positions. Ben’s hand twitched as he hovered it over the Omnitrix.

Rath, on the other hand, took one look around the room, and couldn’t help but grin at the challenge.

“Now you’re making it interesting.” While still holding the food tray in one hand, he reached back, grabbed the bartender bot, and flung it through the air. It collided head on with Rhomboid, sending them both into the nearest wall. Another alien was quick to try jumping Rath, only to be on the receiving end of a hit to the chest. The Appoplexian then charged around the room, throwing punches this way and that. Another group moved in to rush Gwen and Kevin.

Ben, meanwhile, had dove behind the bar so he could get the Omnitrix ready to go hero without getting jumped. He definitely needed to give his brother a hand. Preferably four.

But there was a problem.

“Ow!” The watch had started sparking again, to the point that he couldn’t even touch the dial without getting shocked. And when he finally managed to hit the button that usually pops the dial up…

Nothing happened.

“Come on, come on”, he fiddled with the dial again. Once again, nothing. The sparking increased, sending brief shots of pain along the Lichtenberg scar on his arm, until finally… 

The green glow of the dial shut off. 

While the beginnings of a bar fight raged on, Ben could only hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

“…Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!”

“Ben!” He heard Gwen call out for him. He’d have to deal with whatever the hell was going on with the Omnitrix later. He stood up just in time to see Kevin getting tackled over the bar counter by one alien as another made a grab for Gwen and the egg. As the two were in a tug of war over the egg, Ben jumped the alien from behind, holding him in a headlock.

“Gwen, run! Get the Tiffin to the ship!”

As she tried to make a break for the door, a couple more aliens blocked her way.

“Kevin!” She tossed the egg backwards towards him, who jumped to catch it, only for an alien to grab him by the shoulders.

“Hey!” He yelped as he was slammed onto the bar counter and slid across its surface, slamming right into Argit. The egg slightly fumbled from his hands. Ben, having managed to fight of a few of their attackers, was quick to grab it before anyone else could, only to see a large group charging at him. Kevin was quickly back on his feet, shoving Ben out of the way and getting dog-piled in the process.

“Gwen!” Ben shouted, tossing the egg back to her, which she swiftly caught. She could hear the poor Tiffin whimpering inside from all the commotion.

“It’s okay”, she comforted him. “I’ve got—” She glanced up for a quick moment, only to quickly snap to attention. Her face paled. Octagon had found some higher ground and had his blaster aimed. “BEN! BEHIND YOU!”

Ben turned to see his attacker, and moved to run, but Octagon’s trigger finger was faster. He screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the blinding pain. 

But all he felt was an arm suddenly wrap around his shoulders as the blast collided. The subtle smell of smoke filled the air. He then heard Octagon gasp, followed by a low, rumbling growl. Finally opening his eyes, he was met with an orange and white furry chest. Craning his neck upwards, two pairs of green eyes met, one being much more vivid than the other.

“You okay?” Rath asked, the gruffness doing little to hide brotherly concern. Ben gave a relived smile, and couldn’t help letting out a short laugh at the sight of his brother still holding the tray of food above his head with one hand.

“Yeah. I’m good. Thanks”, he then sniffed the air and winced. “I think your lunch got a little overcooked, though.” Rath lowered his arm as the two of them stared at the blackened remains of what had once been food. Ben flinched as Rath let out another growl.

“LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, OCTAGON VREEDLE”, the Appoplexian roared. “YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR! A MAN’S FOOD IS HIS CASTLE!”

Octagon’s nervous expression turned into one of confusion.

“I believe what you done there is mixin’ what you might call ‘metaphors’.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda his thing,” Ben replied with a smirk, just as Rath pounced. “Along with kicking all kinds of butt.” 

Rhomboid ran in to assist his brother, only to be met by a flying roundhouse kick from Rath that sent him sprawling. Octagon tried to crawl away, only for Ben to block him.

“Going somewhere?”

The smaller Vreedle then felt something grab the back of his jacket and was lifted into the air, where he met the furious gaze of the Appoplexian.

“This gonna hurt, I suspect…”

Without even so much as an answer, Rath, while still holding him, used his free hand to grab Rhomboid by the straps of his overalls. Dragging them both, he walked over to a door on the far edge of the room. The sign over it had large red lettering that was in a language Ben couldn’t understand. There was also a button on the door’s right side. With one swift kick, Rath hit the button, opening the doors. Ben could feel a slight suction from where he was standing. 

He watched as his Appoplexian brother tossed the Vreedles out, then hit the button again, closing the door.

“He just tossed them out of the airlock, didn’t he?” Gwen asked, walking up beside her cousin, the egg carrier safely in her arms. Ben clicked his tongue.

“Yep.” He then gave a look of concern. “Is the Tiffin okay?”

“Thankfully, yes. He just got a little startled.”

“WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!” Rath yelled out at the ensuing bar fight. To the remaining patrons, it wasn’t even about trying to kidnap the Tiffin anymore. They just wanted to trade blows, and Rath was all for it.

Unfortunately for him, the team had a schedule to keep. 

“We gotta go,” Ben grabbed his brother by the arm and started leading him towards the cafe exit, where Gwen and Kevin were waiting.

“Come on!” Rath protested. “I was just gettin’ warmed up!”

“Still think it was a good idea bringing him along?” Kevin whispered. Ben shot him a look.

“As a matter of fact, yes, because we have a problem,” he hissed back. “I’ll explain on the ship. But… you’re not gonna like it…”

Once they got back on the ship and were heading off, Ben explained what happened during the bar fight. How he couldn’t access any of the alien powers, and the sparking on the Omnitrix increased until…

He held up his wrist, showing the no longer glowing symbol of the Omnitrix.

Silence hung in the air for what felt like an eternity, until both Rath and Kevin not only broke, but shattered it.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE WATCH IS BUSTED?!”

Chapter Text

It took Ben nearly twenty minutes to calm Kevin and Rath down. He was just as confused and worried as they were about the situation, but he wouldn’t dare show it. He had to try to be level-headed about this. They still had a mission to complete. Then he could be as freaked out as he wanted.

For the moment, he had Gwen took a closer look at the Omnitrix. And despite it inexplicably turning off, nothing else seemed wrong with it.

“Maybe I should try to use a scanning spell to get a closer look…” Gwen trailed off as she noticed Ben vigorously shaking his head at her. 

“I wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, good point”, she murmured. They had already learned firsthand back when they were kids that mana and advanced alien technology don’t mix. 

Rath, meanwhile, had gone back to his seat, holding the large carrier. Glancing down at it, he pushed a button near the bottom, causing the front to open, revealing the Tiffin, who cooed at him.

“You’re a lot of trouble, you know that?” Rath said gruffly. The Tiffin warbled at him sadly as he closed the carrier once again. Ben sighed as he walked over to them, looking sympathetic.

“Give the little guy a break, Rath”, he said, putting a hand on the Appoplexian’s shoulder. “He’s just a baby. It’s not like it was his choice to be a bargaining chip for a peace treaty.” He received an annoyed huff in response.

“Whatever.”

The moment was shattered by a sudden onslaught of laser fire, shaking the ship. Ben grabbed onto the chair for stability as Rath instinctively tightened his grip on the carrier. Looking out the window, Ben noticed a particularly large battleship flanking them on the right.

“Greetings, Earth folk”, an unfamiliar voice came through the speakers. Kevin and Gwen looked up at the screen in front of them as someone appeared on it. Ben couldn’t help but groan as he saw that it was a large Incursean. 

Great, just what we needed, he thought.

“This is Commander Sangfroid.”

“You’re an Incursean”, Kevin stated matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, I am”, Commander Sangfroid confirmed before continuing. “Now as you know, we Incurseans love war. Can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s what we live for.” 

“Uh-huh, and your point is?” Gwen asked, equal parts sarcastic and cautious.

“This “peace mission” you’re on? We’re against it”, he bluntly stated. “So prepare to be boarded, then killed. Nothin’ personal.” He nonchalantly shrugged at that last bit.

Ben scowled. It was Incurseans like this creep that gave his brother Bullfrag and Magister Gilhil a bad name. They were two of the best Plumbers he knew. And while he may have gotten off on a rocky start with the Magister, they had actually developed a pretty good bond over time. When he, Gwen, Kevin, and his brothers all joined the Plumber Academy, Magister Gilhil was the first to strongly vouch for them (next to Grandpa Max, of course). He had even gone out of his way to take Bullfrag under his wing, proving that some Incurseans had actually grown beyond their Empire’s warmongering ways. 

This Commander, however, clearly had not. 

And just as Ben was about to loudly state that yes, as a matter of fact he did take it personally, Rath quietly handed him the Tiffin’s carrier before storming up towards the cockpit.

“LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, INCURSEAN COMMANDER SANGFROID!” The Appoplexian slammed his hands onto the ship’s control panel as he shouted at the communication screen. “RATH HAS A BETTER IDEA! I’M COMIN’ OVER!” He then began to head towards the back of ship. 

“You’re gonna need a space suit!” Gwen called after him just as he reached the door.

“Whatever”, was all Rath said as he hit the exit button and left.

Ben stared at the door in minor shock. The Tiffin started to make some distressed noises from inside the carrier, bringing him back to reality. He opened the carrier, letting the little guy out. The Tiffin had a worried look on his face. It didn’t take long for Ben to realize that he was worried about Rath.

“Hey, it’s okay. He’s a tough guy, he’ll be right back”, he reassured with a smile. This seemed to work for now as the baby glided into his arms. He then looked back at the screen, which was still in communication with the Incursean ship. “Maybe we should just hang up.”

“Hold on”, Kevin looked back at him with a smirk. “I wanna see how this goes.”

No sooner after he said that, there was a crash and sounds of a struggle on Commander Sangfroid’s end, and he walked off screen to seemingly investigate, which was followed by an even louder crash, followed by the sound of wind blowing. If Ben had to guess, Rath must’ve utterly decimated the ship’s airlock.

“Okay, Incursean Commander Sangfroid!” Rath’s voice rang out from offscreen. “I’ve beaten up everybody on the ship but you! We can fight, or you can go!”

“Fribbit…” Commander Sangfroid silently cursed as Kevin finally hung up the call, a smug smile on his face.

“You know what, I take it back, Tennyson”, he said with a chuckle. “Bringing Rath along was a good idea, after all.”

Ben and Gwen both rolled their eyes at that. A couple moments later, Rath came back in and calmly walked up to the cockpit.

“I talked to them. They said we can go.” The Tiffin gave out a few happy squeaks in response and drifted closer to Rath, who huffed a bit. “Okay, don’t get all emotional.”

Ben opened his mouth to retort, only for the ship to be rocked by more laser fire. The Incursean ship was going all out this time.

“INCURSEAN COMMANDER SANGFROID LIED!” Rath yelled. Kevin shot him a “Yeah, we noticed” look.

“Find a seat!” Kevin then pushed a button, sending the ship into warp speed. “I’m putting us in high gear!”

Unfortunately, Ben and Rath didn’t get to their seats fast enough, and were launched right to the back of the ship’s cabin. Ben was able to hold onto the Tiffin with enough protection right before the two of them collided right into Rath’s chest. Ben groaned a little, as that was no doubt going to leave some bruises on the both of them for a while.

The Incursean ship gained speed, still firing at them. Meanwhile, Kevin noticed that both ships were now right in the path of something. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

“A black hole!” He said. He couldn’t help but smile a bit as he had never seen one in action before. He had only seen photos in science books and the occasional magazine as a kid. “Cool!”

“No, not cool! Very not cool!” Gwen yelled. “We’ll get sucked in!”

“No we won’t. But they will.” He then proceeded to speed up towards it.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” Ben yelled from the back of the ship. Kevin ignored him as he flew a little closer before pulling a large U-turn, the ship going into the highest speed it could possibly go to avoid the pull of the black hole. The Incursean ship wasn’t so lucky.

Ben could practically feel the poor Tiffin being flattened against his chest by the high velocity. But soon the ship’s speed immediately slowed, and they, along with Rath, crashed to the floor.

“See? No problem”, Kevin called back from the cockpit, only to be met with two glaring pairs of eyes, one of which was followed with a low growl. Ben looked over the Tiffin, checking for any injuries. Thankfully, the little guy was just fine and had even returned to his normal shape. Ben couldn’t help but marvel over the seemingly natural elasticity Lewodans had. 

“I’m gonna go take a nap”, Rath grumbled as he trudged over to a nearby seat. Not that Ben could blame him. He did just jump between two ships in the vacuum of space, without a space suit, and pummel a whole crew of Incurseans. 

“Not a bad idea”, he replied as he reclined in a nearby seat himself, his eyes already starting to close.

Ben wasn’t entirely sure how much time passed before feeling an odd sensation on his cheek.

“Cut it out”, he sleepily murmured, waving his hand. “That tickles.” 

Opening one eye, he saw the Tiffin floating very closely, brushing the top of his head against Ben’s face. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. 

“Hey, little guy.” 

The Tiffin smiled at him as a loud snore caught both their attention. Rath was still fast asleep. Before Ben could stop him, the young Lewodan floated over to the sleeping Appoplexian and proceeded to do the same tickling motion on his nose. 

Rath’s nose twitched the first time, he shook his head the second, and lazily tried to wave it off on the third. 

The fourth one, however, was when he finally opened his eyes and sat up, holding the Tiffin in his hands.

“WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” He shouted, only to be met with an innocent coo in response as large blue eyes stared at him. This made him pause, an awkward expression crossing his face. 

“Uh… whatever.” He let go of the Tiffin and looked away, crossing his arms. Glancing back, he then lightly pinched the bottom end of the infant Lewodan and gently stretched him downward, watching as he retained his shape and glided upward in a bouncing motion, similar to a jello mold. Rath couldn’t help but let out a small laugh after doing it a second time. 

“I guess you are kinda…” he trailed off as he noticed that the two of them had an audience. Gwen was softly smiling at them from her seat, no doubt finding the sight adorable. Ben was leaning forward on his seat’s armrest and had his hand over his mouth, but it did little to hide his grin. Even Kevin had an amused smirk on his face. Suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious, Rath grabbed the Tiffin (with the upmost care) and hid him behind his back with a barely noticeable blush. 

“What?” Deciding to cut the embarrassed Appoplexian a break, Kevin spoke up.

“We have good news and bad news.”

“Give us the bad news first”, Ben sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Okay, the bad news is the black hole stunt Kevin pulled damaged the engine”, Gwen explained, briefly shooting a glare in her boyfriend’s direction. Kevin then gave a reassuring smile.

“But the good news is I found a planet near here with exactly what I need to get us going again.”

“And that would be…?” Ben asked cautiously. It was now Gwen’s turn to sigh as she look at both her cousins.

“Neither of you are gonna like it.”

Gwen was right. They didn’t like it.

Not long after landing on the uninhabited planet, Ben had gotten the Tiffin to sleep before putting him back in his carrier, taking time to keep it hidden on the ship. Just in case. 

But as they exited the ship, Rath tensed and Ben felt his stomach drop as they saw the all-too-familiar sea green crystals growing out of various boulders. The entire planet was practically covered in…

“TAYDENITE?!” the brothers shrieked in unison. 

Kevin flinched as Gwen gave him a “Told you so” look. Rath angrily grabbed him and lifted him up to eye level.

“What’s the big deal?” Kevin asked.

“THE BIG DEAL?!” Rath shouted. “THE BIG DEAL IS ‘CAUSE… Uh… uhm…” He then put Kevin down and looked at Ben and Gwen. “You tell him!”

“Because, every time you mention Taydenite, Vulkanus shows up and tries to kill us.” Gwen said.

“Every. Single. Time”, Ben groaned. “It’s practically a given!”

“What they said!” Rath exclaimed. Kevin rolled his eyes.

“Come on. You guys are exaggerating.”

“Oh, yeah?” Ben asked as he held up 3 fingers and began to count down. “3, 2, 1…”

“HEY!” A voiced boomed from behind Kevin. “What are you doing here?!” 

Right on cue, out walked Vulkanus and his goons from what appeared to be a nearby mine. The quickly surrounded the four of them as Kevin glared at Ben.

“Not one word”, he whispered through gritted teeth. Ben just gave him a shrug.

“It doesn’t matter”, Vulkanus growled. “Kill them!” 

As his goons began to close  in on them, he then narrowed his eyes and leaned forward.

“Hang on. Is that you, Tennyson?” Ben jerked a bit at this, pulling his sleeve over the Omnitrix so as not to let on it was on the fritz.

“Yeah. What about it?” Vulkanus then looked at Rath and smirked.

“Didn’t realize you were takin’ in pets now, but did you have to pick one that ugly?” He laughed raucously, repeating it as if were the funniest joke ever told, his goons quickly joining in. None of them noticed Rath silently extending his wrist claws. Ben readied himself to intervene.

“LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, VULKANUS!” Rath bellowed, holding up his fists in a fighting stance. Ben quickly stepped in front of him as Kevin put a hand on his shoulder.

“Whoa, big guy”, Kevin eased, then gestured to himself. “Let me handle this.”

“You?” Ben and Gwen asked incredulously.

“Yeah, me”, he stated. “You think Ben’s the only one who can do a negotiation?”

“Well…” Ben trailed off teasingly. Kevin glared at him before turning to the armored Detrovite.

“Vulkanus”, Kevin started, surprisingly civil. “You’ve made a lot of money off me. Do we have to be enemies?”

“Pretty much, yeah”, Vulkanus said bluntly. Kevin then held up the gold credit cube. 

“Even if I’m willing to pay for what I need, say, ten times the going rate?”

“I like the way you’re thinking”, Vulkanus mulled over before his expression hardened. “But considering that we’re on my territory, and there’s no way for you to escape, the number seems… low.” 

Kevin opened his mouth to retort, only to Rath to shoulder his way past him.

“COME ON, THAT’S A GREAT DEAL, CONSIDERING EVERY TIME MY BROTHER’S GONE UP AGAINST YOU, HE’S KICKED YOUR BUTT!” The three humans cringed. This was not good.

“What did you say?” Vulkanus glowered at the Appoplexian, who glared daggers right back.

“Rath…”, Ben warned, but it was too late. His brother was on a tirade.

“I should’ve said “spank your butt”, since YOU’RE JUST A LITTLE BABY IN THAT BIG MECHANICAL SUIT!” 

“Uh, Rath?” Kevin hastily stepped in between the two. “I’ve got this one!”

“I’M GONNA CALL YOU “BABY MAN”, BABY MAN!” Rath shouted, ignoring Kevin. Ben put his face in his hands. Things had just gone from bad to worse.

“You’re not getting ANY Taydenite from me!” Vulkanus roared. “In fact, you can forget about getting off this planet!” He then signaled to his men. “WHACK ‘EM!”

The diminutive goons rushed the group, who quickly took defensive action. Gwen created shields to defend herself. Ben managed to wrestle a pickaxe away from one and was now swinging away to keep them at a distance, and Kevin, using his powers, punched away at least two at a time.

“Hey, I was negotiating!” he protested as he continued to trade blows. Rath managed to grab a couple before knocking their heads together and throwing them aside.

“No, THIS IS NEGOTIATING!”

Eventually Ben was standing back-to-back with Gwen and Kevin, the former now going on the offensive with mana blasts. 

“This whole trip is like one of those dreams where everyone you know is in it, and they all wanna hurt you!” Kevin exclaimed as he blocked three more attacks.

“I don’t have dreams like that”, Gwen responded, sounding a little concerned.

“No, no, I get exactly what he means”, Ben interjected. Then out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Vulkanus advancing on his brother. “Rath, look out!”

Rath fought off more of the pickaxe-wielding goons and looked up just in time to see Vulkanus pointing a blaster at him.

“Oh, SCREW THIS!” the Appoplexian roared before punching the ground with one of his claws, the force of it being strong enough to knock Vulkanus and his men flat on their backs and even shatter a good chunk of nearby Taydenite crystals. Gwen took advantage of the situation by trapping the dazed smaller aliens in a mana bubble as Rath walked over to Vulkanus, taking him out of his armor and holding him up.

“You ruined my whole supply!” Vulkanus yelled, kicking his stubby legs in anger. It took everything Ben had not to laugh at the sight. He looked less like an intimidating criminal and more like a toddler having a temper tantrum.

“I see a couple good pieces in that pile”, Rath said with a smug grin looking at a nearby overturned crate of Taydenite. Kevin walked over, grabbing the biggest pieces in the pile he could find, then headed towards the ship with Ben and Gwen, but not before giving a smirk to the Detrovite.

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

And with that, Rath dropped Vulkanus to the ground and sprinted to the ship himself, which took off not long afterwards.

As Kevin got to work powering the engine with the Taydenite, Ben exhaustedly slumped in his seat, holding the carrier close after retrieving it from its hiding place. He then opened it to be met by the awake and smiling face of the Tiffin.

“Hey, little guy. Hope you didn’t miss us too long.” He got a happy trill in response. “Well, we’re almost at our destination, so you won’t have to be cooped up and tossed around all this craziness much longer, okay?”

The Tiffin tilted its head in response as Ben looked out the window.

Maybe then we can figure out what exactly Ambassador Zaw-Veenull didn’t wanna tell us, he thought to himself.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for the ship to hit the nearest warp stream, and within minutes, their destination, a large reddish-pink planet, was in sight. Kevin looked back from his seat with a smile.

“As we make our final approach to the Pantophage home planet, let me say thanks to all of you for flying with us on Kevin Levin Airway,” he joked, which earned him a less-than amused look from Gwen.

“Oh, just button it.”

Ben’s thoughts were on other matters at the moment. The Tiffin had floated around the ship for a short while and was now looking out the nearest window at the planet. A sad look crossed the small Lewodan’s face, and Ben couldn’t help but feel for the little guy. He was just a baby, far too young to understand just what was going on and what importance he entailed in regards to this peace treaty. All he seemed to know was that he was never going to see his mother again. Drifting away from the window, the Tiffin made his way to Rath, babbling glumly.

“Aw, relax,” Rath said, gently drawing him in close. “You’ll be okay.” With a small smile, he began lightly tickling the baby alien, who responded with a smile in return. Ben really wished he had a camera at that moment. The image was just too precious. A call alert suddenly grabbed everyone’s attention.

“I have an incoming signal,” Gwen said, looking at the screen in front of her. Her expression grew puzzled and concerned as she read it. “…from the planet Lewoda.” 

This had Ben’s full attention now, as a hologram of Cicely appeared before them. The Tiffin whimpered a bit at the sight of his mother, and Rath was quick to calm him. 

“My dear Tiffin,” she began solemnly. “I just wanted to tell you how proud I am… of what you’re doing for our people…” 

Ben caught the the look in her sky blue eyes. The waver in her voice. The tense way she was holding herself as her shoulders shook, just barely noticeable. She was trying not to cry. 

What really worried him, however, was when her demeanor suddenly changed from heartbroken to pleading. 

“Please… I beg of you. Do not give my son to the Pantophage.”

If the alarms in the back of his mind weren’t blaring before, they certainly were now. Ben shared a look with his cousin, who looked just as worried. They both had a bad feeling from the start that they hadn’t been given the whole story by the Ambassador. If there was any opportunity to find out what exactly they were getting themselves into, this was it.

But before Ben could even open his mouth to ask Cicely to please tell him what was really going on, Rath stood up.

“Hang on,” he started toward the hologram, exacerbated. “You came to us, ‘kay? We didn’t ask for this job, but like it or not, now we gotta finish it!!”

“Rath…” Ben said quietly, putting a hand on his brother’s arm in an attempt to calm him.

“Don’t be such a hard nose about it!” Gwen scolded as the hologram backed up.

“No, he is right,” Cicely said, resignation crossing her features. “It is as it must be.” And with one last sad look to her child, the hologram dissipated. Rath sat back down with a huff as Ben stared at where the hologram once was in slight disappointment. He still had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, and desperately wanted answers, but he couldn’t take it out on his brother.

As the ship descended through the planet’s atmosphere, he knew all they could do from this point forward was keep their guard up and hope for the best that the peace negotiation would go smoothly.

Once the ship landed, the first thing Ben pondered was the possibility that they had landed on the Gourmand home world by accident. The architecture of the buildings vaguely reminded him of food in some shape or form. The palace was the biggest offender, resembling a large, colorful, 4-tier cake. Despite his reservations, he chuckled a bit at the sight of it, as could already see the image of Upchuck positively drooling in his mind’s eye.

As they approached the entrance, he saw Gwen tighten her grip on the Tiffin’s carrier. Kevin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, making her smile. Taking a deep breath, Ben raised a hand towards the large double doors. But before he could even knock, they swung open, revealing a massive ornate hall. 

As the group entered, they took in their surroundings. There were pillars along both sides, and in between each set of two was what looked to be massive stone bowls, roughly half the size of the Rustbucket, fires burning under each one. Each bowl had at least two people, dressed in what reminded him of chefs' uniforms, stirring whatever concoction lay within them. 

Ben could feel the pit in his stomach grow ever deeper as they approached the throne. Two more workers stood on either side of it, one holding a decently sized covered tray, and the other waving a large feathered fan at its occupant. Sitting on the throne was a large heavyset alien with deep red skin, adorned in gold jewelry with purple stones, with a matching black and gold loincloth. He had pointed ears, small horns, and his thinning white hair reached his shoulders. While the Pantophage they had seen throughout this hall were definitely much larger than they were, this one was by far the biggest, looking to be about the same size as Humongousaur at his maximum height. As his black and red eyes studied them, he frowned, making the two large pointed teeth that jutted out from his lower lip all the more noticeable.

“I am Jarret,” he said, the rasp in his voice evident. “King of the Pantophage.”

“Let’s get it over with,” Rath muttered, taking the egg-shaped carrier from Gwen, holding it up. “We brought you the Tiffin!” It was then that the king smiled. It was a satisfied looking smile, but unnerving all the same. 

“And I thank you for your trouble.”

The king then leaned forward. The top of the carrier opened as he, with surprising gentleness, grasped it with his thumb and forefinger. The Tiffin turned around, looking down towards Rath with a small whimper. Ben’s stomach clenched as Cicely’s pleading face flashed in his mind.

He didn’t like this. Not one bit.

“Sorry, little guy,” Rath whispered as he reluctantly let the carrier go, the sad tone not lost on the rest of the team. 

Drawing back up to his full height, Jarret eyed the Tiffin as one of his servants carried over a covered tray. The servant then lifted up the cover, revealing a small gold pillow on the tray. Jarret then turned the carrier over, plopping the Tiffin onto the pillow. 

“There,” Jarret said. “Isn’t that lovely?” The sinking feeling in Ben’s stomach ebbed away in relief as the king looked admirably at the Tiffin… only for it roar back to life like a star going supernova as Jarret plucked up the baby in an instant before popping him into his mouth swallowing him whole.

Time seemed to stop as the ruler of the Pantophage let out a content sigh and rubbed his stomach. Ben was in such horrified shock that he almost didn’t register the sound of Kevin collapsing in a faint behind him. But finally, he found his voice.

“DID YOU JUST EAT THE BABY?!” he screamed, the sound echoing throughout the hall. His shock quickly turned to disgust and anger as Jarret licked his fingers and gave him a self-satisfied smile.

“Yes, I did,” the king replied smugly. 

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA KEEP HIM!” Rath roared. “I THOUGHT HE WAS A PEACE OFFERING!”

“Yes. Well, he is all that… plus a rare delicacy,” Jarret explained. “That’s what a peace offering is here on my planet.”

Ben scowled in disgust. Oh, he was going to have some choice words with Zaw-Veenull the next time he saw him. If he knew that this was how the mission was supposed to go, he would’ve never agreed to it! He was pulled out of his thoughts, however, when he noticed Rath’s demeanor out of the corner of his eye. The Appoplexian was vibrating with rage, his teeth bared in a very low growl.

“Eating. Babies. Is not. COOL!”

Before anyone could react, Rath leapt up to Jarret’s face with a roar. With his impressive strength, he pried open the Pantophage’s mouth and quickly dove into it. Kevin, who had just woken up in time to witness this, looked as if he was going to faint again. Jarret, however, looked at if he was going to puke, clutching his writhing stomach in pain. After what felt like an eternity, a loud shattering rang out through the hall as Rath burst out through his teeth and landed in a crouch in front of the three humans, the destroyed remains of said teeth raining around him. Standing back up, he opened his arms slightly to reveal the Tiffin, a little shaken and covered in slobber, but in one piece and still alive.

“Phew,” the Tiffin breathed out in relief, as Ben let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Yeah, I know,” Rath said as he comforted him. “Same here.”

Jarret ran his tongue over what little was left of his teeth, still processing what just occurred mere moments ago, before turning his crimson eyes furiously towards the group.

“How dare you,” he seethed, his raspy voice now sporting a prominent lisp. “Certainly you realize that this means war!” Rath glared up at him, his demeanor now eerily stoic.

“Hold him,” he said quietly, handing the Tiffin over to Ben, as the two brothers shared a brief, knowing look. This was the calm before the storm. Just as quickly as before, Rath once again leapt up towards Jarret’s face, now grabbing him by the ears so their eyes met. Large, red eyes made contact with furiously glowing green.

“LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, JARRET OF PANTOPHAGE,” Rath stated. “I JUST JUMPED DOWN YOUR THROAT! YOU START A WAR WITH THE LEWODANS, AND I WILL DO IT AGAIN! ONLY NEXT TIME, I WILL KNIT YOUR INTESTINES INTO A SWEATER!!”

Holding onto eye contact for another moment that seemed to last a lifetime, Rath finally jumped back down to join his brother. Once again taking the Tiffin into his arms, he gently pat the baby on the head before facing the king one last time, growling with all his teeth bared. Jarret flinched back in fear. After everything he had witnessed and endured, he knew the Appoplexian wasn’t bluffing and would make good on his rather graphic threat.

“Let’s go,” was all Rath said as he turned and started walking toward the palace entrance. Ben and Gwen shared a proud smile as they and Kevin were quick to follow.

It wasn’t long after they had left the palace and made way to the ship that a large, egg-shaped craft landed before them. The front hatch opened, and out glided Ambassador Zaw-Veenull, with Cicely not to far behind. The Tiffin immediately brightened up, trilling joyfully at the sight of his mother, and flew out of Rath’s arms to her. As soon as he was in her sight, tears of joy and relief sprang to her eyes.

“My son! Alive!” She exclaimed as he flew happily around her before finally settling into her embrace. “It’s a miracle!” Ben wiped a few tears of his own away and looked up at Rath, who looked on at the two with a small smile.

“Glad to help,” Kevin said. “Now, about our fee—ow!” His attempts to negotiate payment were quickly silenced by an elbow to the ribs, courtesy of Gwen.

“We’re happy it all worked out,” she said with a smile.

“Nevertheless,” Zaw-Veenull began, seemingly unaware of the angry look Ben was giving him. “On behalf of Lewoda, let me offer our sincere gratitude to you for negotiating a peace treaty with the Pantophage, who otherwise would have—”

“Did you know Jarret was gonna eat the baby?” Rath interjected, his glare now matching his brother’s as the two crossed their arms. The Ambassador’s expression faltered at bit.

“Uh, well,” he stammered. “I wasn’t sure exactly, but…” His weak attempts at an explanation stopped as soon as Rath held a fist in front of his face, wrist claw extending.

“Never. Talk to me. Or my brother. Again.”

The Ambassador was quick to back off and retreat into the ship as Rath once again retracted his claw. Ben gave him a grateful nod as Cicely approached them.

“Thank you, Ben Tennyson,” she said, eyes still shining with tears.

“Please, don’t thank me,” Ben said, raising his hands up humbly as he looked behind him towards Gwen and Kevin. “I was just along for the ride. This was more a team effort than anything. And if there’s anyone you need to thank…” He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s my brother, Rath. He’s the one who kept your son safe and even made sure this mission was successful… even if it didn’t go completely according to plan.” 

“All the same, I am forever grateful to all of you,” Cicely responded, before floating up slightly and gently kissing the Appoplexian on the cheek. “Thank you, Rath Tennyson. Thank you all for saving my son.”

“Uh… sure,” Rath mumbled, and Ben was certain he could see a blush forming under his fur. “Whatever.”

The Tiffin cooed once again and floated up to Rath, nuzzling against him. It didn’t take long for the affection to be returned as he gently held him, his chest rumbling in a low purr.

“I’ll miss you too, little guy.”

The young Lewodan then made a quick round of goodbyes, nuzzling up against the three humans who helped make it possible for him to live another day. Gwen couldn’t help but giggle as Kevin desperately tried to look indifferent towards it all.

“Just stay out of trouble, you little marshmallow,” he said. “We can’t always be there to bail you out.”

Ben was more that willing to hug him one last time. The Tiffin looked at the still deactivated Omnitrix and let out a small warble. 

“Don’t worry,” Ben reassured him. “I’m sure it can be fixed. It was worth it to know you’re safe.” 

With a small trill, the Tiffin nuzzled against his cheek before returning to his mother’s arms. Ben gave them a small wave as the two turned and headed back into their ship. He continued to watch the ship lift off until it was far out of sight. 

The quiet sound of electricity crackling reached his ears, along with a very familiar powering-up sound. He raised his wrist up to see a welcoming green glow and smiled in relief. That definitely saved him from trying to explain what happened to Azmuth.

“Ben, the watch is back on!” Gwen cheered, hugging him.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “As soon as the Tiffin left, it went back to normal.” A contemplative look crossed Gwen’s face.

“That baby must’ve sent out some kind of interference that messed with the Omnitrix.”

“Good guess.” At that statement, Gwen and Ben turned to look at a very smug Kevin.

“You knew?” Ben asked with a glare.

“Well, I wasn’t sure exactly, but…” Kevin responded playfully in a poor impression of Zaw-Veenull.

“Kevin…” Ben started towards him, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy there, brother,” Rath said. “Let Rath handle this.” He the walked right over and quickly held Kevin up by his shirt. “LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, KEVIN E. LEVIN!”

“Please don’t!” Kevin whimpered sheepishly and Gwen walked over to break it up. Ben let out a laugh and smiled. 

Yep, he thought to himself. Bringing Rath along on this mission was DEFINITELY a good idea.