Chapter 113: This Watch Was Given to Me by My Cousin
The cool night air of the countryside carried the rhythmic chirping of crickets. Beside the hulking metallic frame of the Rustbucket, a makeshift campsite had been set up, with folding chairs arranged in a loose circle around a crackling fire. Grandpa Max was currently caught up in a rather sickeningly sweet moment of affection with Xylene.
Klein leaned back in his camping chair, a dry smirk tugging at his lips. "As expected of Grandpa," he drawled, his voice dripping with mock awe. "Smooth-talking his alien lover into submission with just a few sweet words. A true master at work."
What Klein didn't realize, of course, was the sheer level of restraint Max was currently exercising. If the older man hadn't been terrified of Klein casually snitching to Grandma Verdona, this little reunion with Xylene would have likely escalated far past simple affectionate banter.
Ben, meanwhile, sat off to the side with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He was glaring daggers at the Uxorite. As far as the ten-year-old was concerned, this weird alien lady was actively trying to steal his Grandpa away.
Gwen had initially leaned over, fully intending to play the voice of reason and comfort the Dweeb. She had a whole speech prepared about how Grandpa and Xylene were just catching up on old times. But then her mind flashed back to Klein's utterly ruthless comment from earlier—"Which Grandma is this again?"—and the words died in her throat. The sheer awkwardness of the situation left her completely paralyzed.
The thought of that comment sparked a sudden realization. Gwen blinked, turning her head to look at Klein. "Wait a second, Cousin. This 'Grandma Verdona' you mentioned earlier... who exactly is she?"
"Oh, that?" Klein waved a hand dismissively, though a faint gleam of amusement danced in his eyes. "Well, it all started back when I first bumped into Paradox..."
He leaned forward, fully prepared to casually drop the terrifying lore of how he had brawled with dozens of Celestialsapiens into the laps of his unsuspecting younger cousins.
Ben, whose curiosity had temporarily overridden his jealousy, leaned in impatiently. "Is this story going to take forever? Can't you just skip to the—Ouch!"
A sharp smack echoed through the quiet campsite.
"Don't interrupt me," Klein said, slowly retracting the finger he had just used to ruthlessly flick the Dweeb's forehead.
Ignoring Ben's dramatic groans of pain, Klein crossed his arms and continued in a perfectly calm, detached tone. "Anyway, I ran into Grandma Verdona and another cousin of ours on some desolate rock of a planet."
Another cousin?
Gwen's brow twitched. For some inexplicable reason, a sudden, irrational wave of hostility washed over her at the mention of this mysterious 'other cousin.' Her curiosity about Grandma Verdona vanished entirely, instantly replaced by a deep, calculating suspicion about who this new rival for her older cousin's attention might be.
Ben, however, was still entirely focused on the family lore. Rubbing his stinging forehead, he asked, "So, Cousin, what kind of person is Grandma Verdona?"
"How should I know?" Klein shrugged, his expression deadpan. "I only met her that one time. The moment she saw me, she accused me of kidnapping her granddaughter and immediately tried to throw hands."
A rare sigh escaped Klein's lips, a hint of genuine depression coloring his features. Because Verdona was technically his grandmother too, he had been forced to swallow his pride, back down, and completely retreat from the battlefield that day. It remained a dark stain on his record—the absolute only time in his life someone had dared to act that arrogant in front of him and actually lived to walk away without a beating.
Ben rubbed his chin, nodding with solemn, childish gravity. "Is that so? Sounds like Grandma has a pretty terrible personality."
On the other side of the roaring campfire, Grandpa Max and Xylene were completely lost in their own little world. Since both of them were veteran Plumbers who had served together in the trenches of galactic law enforcement, their shared history ran deep. Now that the floodgates of nostalgia had opened, the stories of their past exploits flowed endlessly, blending into a warm, intimate murmur.
They were snacking as they chatted. The dish resting between them was one of Max's infamous culinary nightmares: a steaming bowl of Fresh and Fierce Living Rice Worms. The pale, segmented grubs writhed and squirmed in the dark sauce, yet Xylene was happily popping them into her mouth, looking utterly delighted by the texture.
"By the way, Xylene," Max asked, his tone shifting to something a bit more grounded as he swallowed a wriggling worm. "After all these years... what exactly brings you back to Earth?"
Xylene paused, her slender finger lifting to point directly across the fire. She aimed straight at the bulky, glowing device strapped to Ben's left wrist. "That."
"I knew it!" Ben shot up from his chair, his eyes wide with betrayal. He immediately slapped his right hand over the dial, shielding it from her view. "You're exactly like all the other alien freaks! You just want to steal the Omnitrix!"
Despite constantly complaining about the device and calling it a piece of junk, Ben cherished the watch. More, it was a gift from his older cousin. No weird alien lady was taking it from him.
Seeing the boy bristle like an angry cat, Max quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, Ben, easy now. Don't get so worked up." He turned to his old flame. "Xylene, why don't you explain it to him?"
Xylene met Ben's glare with a completely matter-of-fact expression. "Of course I want to retrieve the Omnitrix. I am the one who sent it to Earth in the first place."
"You sent it?" Ben narrowed his eyes, his suspicion deepening into a heavy scowl. "Liar. My cousin gave this to me."
Xylene blinked, her gaze snapping toward Klein. A look of sudden, sharp realization crossed her alien features. "You! You looted it from the crash site?!"
Klein didn't even blink. He took a slow sip from his water bottle, his expression the picture of serene innocence. "How could that be? I bought this watch at a local toy store."
Ben frowned, his head swiveling back to Klein in utter confusion. "Wait, Cousin. I thought you said your watch was the one you bought at the toy store?"
"Have you never heard of a buy-one-get-one-free sale?" Klein countered smoothly.
He watched the Dweeb's face scrunch up as the ten-year-old tried to process the sheer absurdity of that logic. The corner of Klein's mouth twitched in a suppressed smirk.
It was only then that Xylene's sharp eyes caught the metallic glint on Klein's left wrist. Her breath hitched. Though the design was radically different—sleeker, more menacing—the core energy signature was unmistakable. It was another Omnitrix.
"There is a second Omnitrix?!" Xylene gasped, her composure finally shattering. She stepped forward, her eyes darting between the two boys. "How is this even possible?! I only secured and dispatched a single unit—the one currently attached to that child!" She jabbed an accusing finger in Ben's direction.
"Don't expect me to say thank you just because you claim you dropped it in the woods!" Ben snapped, his dissatisfaction radiating off him in waves. "As far as I'm concerned, this watch is a gift from my cousin, and that's the only story I care about!"
Xylene let out a tired, exasperated sigh. "I wasn't sending it to you, child. You merely stumbled upon it before the intended recipient could secure the pod. I originally programmed its trajectory for Max."
The fiery defiance drained out of Ben in an instant. His shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the glowing green dial, a sudden, heavy wave of disappointment washing over his face. "So... the watch was never meant for me?"
Seeing the kid look like a kicked puppy, Klein reached over and clapped a heavy hand onto Ben's shoulder. "Don't sweat the details, Dweeb. It's yours. Even if Azmuth himself descended from the heavens today to demand it back, the Omnitrix stays on your wrist."
Klein offered a lazy, supremely confident smile. "Besides, even if Azmuth did show up—and putting aside the fact that he'd have to get through me first—it wouldn't matter if he actually managed to take it. Your big cousin here could just build you a vastly superior, upgraded version from scratch."
Ben looked up, the genuine warmth in Klein's voice cutting through his insecurities. A small, grateful smile broke through his gloom. "Thanks, Cousin."
"Klein, you know Azmuth too?" Max asked, his bushy eyebrows shooting up toward his hairline. A sinking feeling began to settle in the old Plumber's gut. He was increasingly beginning to suspect that his eldest grandson had been orchestrating massive, galaxy-shaking events entirely behind his back.
"Hey, Grandpa, Gwen and I know him too!" Ben chimed in, puffing his chest out with a proud grin. During their last chaotic detour into an entirely different universe, the two younger cousins had learned firsthand that Azmuth was the eccentric genius behind the Omnitrix.
Max stared at the ten-year-old. Great. Just fantastic. Now the other two had been completely led astray by Klein's terrible influence. All three of his grandchildren were apparently out there casually mingling with the universe's most reclusive intellects and participating in multiversal shenanigans while he was busy driving the RV.
For a long, agonizing moment, Grandpa Max simply didn't know what to say.
Sensing the impending mental breakdown of their grandfather, Gwen quickly raised her hands. "Don't worry, Grandpa! We'll sit down and explain everything to you later, promise."
Max let out a long breath, a relieved smile finally cracking through his stunned expression. Thank the stars for Gwen. At least one of his grandchildren was still somewhat sensible.
Watching the chaotic family dynamic unfold, Xylene turned back to Max, a soft, almost melancholic smile touching her lips. "I never pictured you settling down into the role of a family man, Max. Tell me... do you never miss the thrill of your past glories?"
Ben stiffened. His worst fears were actively materializing right in front of him. This alien woman was absolutely trying to seduce his grandfather away from them.
Max chuckled, shaking his head gently. "I don't know about that, Xylene. The four of us are still living a pretty thrilling and exciting life out here on the road." He cast a warm, fond glance over at his three grandchildren.
Unable to take it anymore, Ben scrambled out of his chair and marched right up to the campfire, glaring up at Xylene with pure, unfiltered hostility. "You really are trying to take Grandpa away from us!"
Xylene looked down at the fiercely protective human child, her brow furrowing in genuine alien confusion. "I truly do not comprehend your thought process, child. On my homeworld, the moment you hatch from your egg, you are expected to rely entirely on yourself."
Dismissing the boy's tantrum, she turned her gaze back to Max. Her eyes softened, brimming with tender, deep affection. "Besides... I find myself in desperate need of Max's unique assistance."
"Now that," Max murmured, his voice dropping an octave, "is a very tempting invitation."
The look passing between the veteran Plumber and the Uxorite was so thick with romantic tension it was practically dripping with syrup.
Ben stared at his grandfather in sheer, unadulterated horror. His jaw practically hit the dirt.
Slowly, the ten-year-old turned his head, looking desperately toward his older cousin. Right now, more than anything else in the entire universe, Ben really wanted to ask:
"Cousin, do you happen to have Grandma Verdona's phone number?"
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