**Chapter 1 – "The Trouble Magnet"**
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### **POV: Ben**
The Omnitrix sat on his desk. Just a lifeless hunk of alien tech now.
For years, it had been his whole life — armor, weapon, badge of honor. Now it was a reminder. Mocking him in silence.
Ben flopped back on his bed with a sigh that rattled his whole chest.
*"Summer's over, super‑cool hero days are over, and now I'm… what? Some kid with algebra homework. Totally epic. Totally not depressing at all."*
His room looked the same, but he didn't. Not really. He'd seen entire species wiped out, alien tyrants crumble, and whole worlds saved by his hand. And tomorrow he was supposed to care about bell schedules and locker combos.
"Yeah," he muttered at the ceiling, "sure, I'll just… go back to being regular Ben. Piece of cake."
But his fists clenched when he closed his eyes. His skin almost *itched*. Like he could still feel vibrations of power in his bones. Like the galaxy hadn't let go of him yet.
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### **POV: Bellwood Teacher — Ms. Dalton**
Ben Tennyson had been back in her class for exactly one day, and already she could tell he was going to be a headache.
There he was in the back row, chin propped on one arm, doodling in his notebook instead of paying attention. And not doodles of superheroes or cars, but these strange geometric diagrams… like circuitry, only stranger. She squinted trying to figure them out.
"Tennyson," she snapped. "Equation on the board. Now."
Ben looked up, blinked once, then trudged forward. She expected fumbling mediocrity. Instead, he rattled off the solution in under ten seconds, shrugged, and slouched back to his seat without even *pretending* to care.
He didn't even look proud. Just… bored.
She muttered under her breath. "Smart. Too smart for his own good."
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### **POV: Classmate – Marty Henshaw**
Every school had "that kid." Bellwood had Ben Tennyson.
Weirdest guy in the room but everyone low‑key liked him because he could roast bullies with surgical precision.
Today when Gary the Jerk tried to smack Ben's notebook off his desk, Ben tipped it at the last second so Gary smacked *himself* instead. Then, without missing a beat, Ben muttered, "Nice shot. Ten out of ten for style, two out of ten for IQ." Whole class laughed.
Gary sulked. Ben smirked. Same old story.
But Marty had noticed something new: Ben's eyes didn't just have mischief anymore. They had… shadows. Like he'd aged a year in a summer. Like he was keeping secrets light‑years away.
He wanted to ask, but something told him not to.
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### **POV: Alien Bounty Hunter – Skrall (Deep Space)**
Coordinates: Earth. Target: Human child, designation *Tennyson, Benjamin*.
Intel: Previously wielder of a "great weapon." Reports say weapon has been removed.
Assessment: Easier target now. Vulnerable.
Skrall bared his serrated teeth. The boy would not stay hidden on his blue mudball planet forever. Someone that valuable could fetch a fortune across half the galaxy.
His claws tapped on the console.
*The boy may think he is safe in his simplicity… but the galaxy remembers.*
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### **POV: Ben (closing beat)**
That night, lying in bed, Ben flicked the light off. Darkness spread across the walls, quiet… too normal.
"Great. This is it. Homework and lights out. Welcome back, Average Ben."
But then, just before sleep hit, he whispered to himself with that crooked half‑smile:
"…Yeah, right. Like the universe is *actually* done with me."
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✨ End of Chapter 1 ✨
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