11) Repairing the damage - 2

"Are you sure about it, Ken?" Frank asked skeptically.

His son was probably still not okay after the previous day's ordeal, but the things he was saying weren't something to be taken lightly. It was a huge step to take.

"Ken, it's not a decision you can take in the flip of a second," Natalie said with a disapproving look on her face. She didn't like the look on her son's face. He wasn't thinking okay with it.

"But I want to be a Plumber," Ken said, looking at his father and mother. The last day had been full of traumatizing events, and he didn't want anything like that happening to him again. He wanted to be a Plumber for it. He wanted to live the life his grandfather had lived. A life full of surprises and action. A life where he would feel in control.

"A Plumber is not something you can become just because you wish to be. Your grandpa's life was never easy, and we were affected by it too," Frank replied seriously. What his son wanted wasn't something easy to deal with.

"But I want to give it a shot," Ken protested instantly with a pleading expression. He wanted to make it happen for real. He wanted to be a part of that esteemed organization which his grandpa was.

Gwen, for her part, listened silently. She didn't want to add to their already existing problems by interrupting their discussion. She was already receiving a somewhat disappointed treatment from her parents. It was bad enough that it made her annoyingly guilty.

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"Guys, I don't think that we should be doing this," Gwen commented with a weary look from the backseat of the car.

"C'mon Gwen. We can't sit around in our homes, especially now that we know that grandpa's with aliens," Ben replied from the front seat with a baffled look. He shouldn't be surprised. Gwen had grown up, but there was still that dweeb behavior inside her.

"Aren't you grounded?" Gwen asked instantly with a sharp frown.

"Yeah. But they understand me. Plus it was Ken who picked me up. That's okay," Ben replied with a smile. Thankfully, his parents understood him much better than before after hearing everything through his POV.

Gwen's concern was evident as she observed her brother and cousi. Ken seemed to be much focused too. She was inwardly grappling with the moral dilemma of their actions.

"Guys, I get that we need to find Grandpa, but are we sure about breaking the rules like this?"

Ben exchanged a glance with Ken before he replied wearily.

"Gwen, we can't just sit around. Grandpa's out there with aliens, and we need answers. Sometimes, breaking a few rules is the only way to make things right."

Gwen sighed, still uneasy but understanding their urgency. "Just be careful, okay? We don't want to make things worse."

Ken's eyes softened with nostalgia as he took the left turn. He was doing it for grandpa too.

"We can't just stand by. Grandpa taught me how to ride my first cycle and was there at my first football match. He's our family, and we can't sit around when he might be in trouble."

Ben nodded, a sense of determination in his eyes as he looked at Gwen from the rear view mirror. "Ken's right. Grandpa's been there for all of us. We can't let him down now. We'll make sure he's safe."

Gwen was still concerned, but had to acknowledge their bond with grandpa. They each had their memories. Ken was the most coddled of the family before Ben and her were born. She had never realised how much Grandpa meant for Ken too.

As the trio drove towards their destination, unease still lingered in the air. Ben couldn't help but voice his concern, something which had been bugging him for some time.

"Can we really trust Kevin? I mean, he's been quite a troublemaker in the past."

Gwen perked up. She had been looking out of the window, when she heard his words. She couldn't help but think that Kevin needed their doubt.

"People change, Ben. Maybe Kevin has taken a new path in life. We should give him the benefit of the doubt." She replied softly. Perhaps he had really turned good.

Ken, who had been listening quietly, finally chimed in. He was jealous and awe of him in equal.

"I don't know much about him, but actions speak louder than words. Let's see how things unfold. Besides he seemed cool. And the collection he has. Let's not talk about it. My Awesome Mobile won't like it."

They finally reached the destination. Parking the car outside. The three of them went to the door of the house.

Ben hesitated for a moment before pressing the doorbell. The suspense in the air was palpable as they waited. The door creaked open, revealing Kevin with a nonchalant expression as he looked at them.

Ben, trying to break the tension, remarked, "Nice place you got here, Levin."

"Tennyson. Tennyson. Tennyson," he greeted with a sigh, emphasizing each name with a fed up expression.

"Come inside," Kevin offered, gesturing towards the entrance. The trio exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what awaited them beyond the threshold. As they stepped into the dimly lit house, the air seemed to hold a tension.

In the dimly lit hallway, Ben, Ken, and Gwen exchanged wary glances as they quietly trailed behind him. Their footsteps echoed softly as they entered the familiar living room, only to be greeted by the unexpected sight of two faces calmly occupying the space.

"Dad!" echoed the voices of the three teens, a mix of surprise and emotion in their tone.

"Whoa, Dad? Uncle Frank? What are you doing here?" Ben exclaimed, clearly taken aback by the unexpected presence of his father and uncle. The surprise etched on his face mirrored the unspoken questions swirling in his mind.

"Your grandpa may be your grandfather, but he's our father too. We worry about him just as much as you all do," Frank said with a solemn expression, emphasizing the shared concern for Max Tennyson's well-being.

"You know, deep down, I expected you two to show up here, even if I didn't quite believe it. Tennyson blood, I guess. Stubbornness runs in the family," Carl said with a resigned sigh, as if acknowledging the inevitable persistence of the Tennysons.

Kevin sighed inwardly; the Tennysons never failed to complicate his life. Yet, he was duty bound by their shared hero and helper status, he had to begrudgingly accept the work-related query, knowing he had to assist Ben Tennyson despite his personal feelings.

"Your fathers wanted to know about the progress," Kevin stated, looking at Ben, Gwen, and Ken with a serious expression.

"Yeah. We wanted to have some weapons if any aliens decided to attack our families again." Frank stated with a frown as he looked at the trio.

Carl nodddd at the words of his brother. Ben and Gwen looked ashamed by the proclamation knowing fully well that they had part in causing it.

"Yeah, that too," Kevin agreed. The two had discussed the need for weapons and gadgets, preparing for potential future challenges.

"Well, since we're discussing it, let's move on to it. Follow me," Kevin said, leading the way towards the basement.

The others followed silently as they descended into the familiar basement. Once downstairs, they were once again face to face with the impressive weapons collection they had encountered the day before.

Surprise crossed their faces as they noticed a blue and white jelly dog-like creature hopping excitedly on the floor.

"Guys, this is my friend and dog Tom. He's a recently formed Galvanic Mechamorph, so he's not perfectly mannered yet," Kevin explained, as the blue dog jumped onto his shoulders and snuggled closer to his neck.

"So it's an alien?" Ken asked curiously.

"Yeah, an alien. A Galvanic Mechamorph to be exact," Kevin replied, confirming Ken's curiosity.

"They can upgrade and manipulate technology. I had one too in my old Omnitrix," Ben explained excitedly to Ken. The nostalgia of encountering a Galvanic Mechamorph again was evident, and the little dog's cuteness only added to the moment.

Ignoring Ben's words, Kevin moved to the table. Sensing the glowing light, he commanded, "Open the stealth shelf."

The steel wall parted slightly, revealing another hidden shelf, one that had remained unseen by any of them before.

Slowly they saw smart phones, handguns, smart watches, stuffs so elegant which they never saw before.

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"Talk, Tennyson?" Kevin asked, looking at Ben curiously.

"I need your help to find my Grandpa," Ben said, a frown creasing his brow as he looked at Kevin.

"I am already working on it, Tennyson," Kevin replied with a scoff. He was already using his efforts to track him.

"We need to clear things between us. Listen, Kevin. Whatever happened in the past, let's bury it and be friends. I don't want any enmity with you," Ben stated seriously, locking eyes with him.

"We are no more enemies, Tennyson. Not after I was released from the Null Void. Things have changed, and I have repented and paid for my actions. We have no dues to clear between us," Kevin replied, crossing his arms. He had no lingering issues with Tennyson.

"Well, that's cool. So we can be friends, right?" Ben said happily. If Kevin didn't consider him his enemy, then it was good for him.

"You can say so," Kevin replied with a sigh. He couldn't help but be reminded of the boy's immaturity standing before him. That damned stupidity which reeked from him. And to think that he was the protector of the most powerful thing in the Universe.

"Hey, Kevin. How does this work?" Ken asked, entering the area with a frown, holding one of the smartwatches.

Kevin sighed. He walked back to the living room followed by Ben. Everyone there was trying to make guesses on how it worked.

"That's a smartwatch for any unsuspecting eye. But for protection purposes, it's also a sonic weapon and EMP emitter," Kevin explained as he took one of the watches from the table and put it on his wrist.

He moved his other hand and pulled the top of the watch. The screen was pulled back and immediately a grey colored metal supported by mini stands wrapped around his hand. It covered his palm and there was a centre blue glowing circle. It was something which he had mimicked after seeing the unarmed Iron man and Winter Soldier fight in Civil War. One where he used the watch as a self defence weapon.

"Enough to give concussions and throw people away with its power. Works on electricity and solar energy too. Won't advice to charge it with your house's electricity until you want a sudden increase in your home's electricity bill." Kevin explained as he demonstrated the watch.

"And the phone?" Gwen asked curiously. She had seen concepts of these phones on the internet but hadn't encountered one for real. Smartphones were still not available in the market.

"This is just a normal phone but better, satellite-connected to the Plumber's intergalactic communication center. Though these are my creations for my new smartphone company," Kevin replied with a smile.

"You're starting a company?" Frank asked, surprised. The boy seemed so young; he couldn't believe his ears that he was already planning to start a company.

"I am, though not focused on it very much till now," Kevin replied with a smile. Honestly, after visiting and seeing the cosmos, limiting himself to the planet and a company wasn't the keenest option on his mind.