# đź“– *Ben 10: The Lost Years*
**Episode 5 (Earth) – Cafeteria Wars**
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### **POV: Ben — Monday Morning Blues**
It wasn't raiders or bounty hunters that scared Ben the most. It was Monday.
Specifically: Monday mornings in Bellwood High.
One week ago, he escaped a prison transport in orbit of Rigel‑12, became the "Watchless One" in whispered alien myth, and somehow crash‑landed back on Earth with just enough time to start algebra homework. Now here he was, sitting in the cafeteria surrounded by questionable nacho fries and a sea of human kids who thought their biggest problem was acne.
He was still covered in scabbed cuts on his arms. He hid them under hoodie sleeves.
*Back to normal,* he thought. *Sure. Totally normal. Just ignore the galactic bounty still trying to fry your face.*
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### **POV: Classmate Marty**
Marty always said Ben Tennyson was weird. Not *bad* weird, just… "alien magnet" weird.
Like right now: cafeteria dodgeball practice wasn't even a real thing, but for some reason Ben had managed to get roped into demoing against Gary, the bully. And of course, Ben looked bored, while Gary — beefy, predictable Gary — was champing to put him in the hospital with a tray‑ball.
"Bet you can't even dodge this!" Gary jeered, winding up.
Marty expected Ben to flinch. Instead, Ben muttered something under his breath with a smirk — and then the moment Gary threw, Ben *moved before the ball did.* A perfectly timed sidestep, eyes flicking an instant earlier than reflexes should've allowed.
The tray‑ball smacked Gary in the forehead, rebounding comically.
Everyone laughed. Gary's face went red. And Ben? He just leaned against the milk dispenser, pouting like he was *bored.*
Marty whispered, "He knew that throw before it happened."
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### **POV: Ben — Spark Flicker in Normal Life**
He felt it again — that Spark. That anticipatory hum under his ribs. For Skrall, it had warned him of blade strikes. For raiders, of wing dives. Now? A dodgeball.
And he'd moved early. Too early. Nobody noticed except Marty.
He grinned through a sip of chocolate milk. "Guess my danger sense hates gym class too."
Gary stalked forward with another tray‑ball, furious. "That was a fluke."
Ben stepped forward casually, voice dripping mischief. "Okay. Try again. This time hit me. Spoiler: you won't."
Gary screamed, hurled — and Ben tilted his head, calmly plucking the tray‑ball from the air mid‑flight. Smooth like magic.
The room gasped.
Ben smirked. "Thanks. Needed a spare."
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### **POV: Ms. Dalton (Teacher)**
From across the cafeteria, Ms. Dalton nearly dropped her clipboard. She'd suspected Tennyson was lazy genius — doodling circuit diagrams instead of notes, solving equations in seconds. But *reflexes, too?* His timing wasn't just luck. No human kid his age moved like that.
Her lips pursed. "What *is* that boy hiding?"
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### **POV: Ben — Off‑Guard Thought**
For a split second, he wished he could tell them. All of them. That Gary didn't lose to luck — he'd lost to someone who taunted bounty hunters with sarcasm, who broke out of galactic prison with algebra and a rat for backup.
But no. Not here. Not Earth.
Here he was lazy, sarcastic Ben Tennyson, school screw‑up.
And maybe that was safer.
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### **POV: Argit (Sneaking on Earth)**
From the vent above the cafeteria kitchen, Argit peeked at the scene. He *despised* Earth — bland food, no alcohol in schools, too many humans staring — but Ben insisted on "finishing school."
At least this explained how he balanced lives: by being insane. Seriously, only a lunatic would face aliens *and* gym in the same week.
Argit muttered to himself, "Fine. He humiliates raiders in space, humiliates bullies on mudball. Kid's consistent."
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### **POV: Classmate Gossip (Post‑Lunch)**
By the end of the day, versions of the story spread:
- "Gary tripped throwing the tray‑ball."
- "No, Ben caught it mid‑flight like a ninja."
- "Nah, he set it up, like he *knew* the throw in advance…"
No one agreed on details. All agreed: **Ben was strange.**
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### **POV: Ben – Closing Beat**
Lockers slammed. Sun dipped. Ben slipped his last book in his bag… but Argit was waiting by the back doors, jittering.
"Uh, minor thing," Argit stammered. "The Syndicate heard about Rigel, and guess who's on their 'annoyingly alive' list?"
Ben smirked. "Cool. Guess homework can wait."
Dual lives. Algebra packets by day, ambushes by night.
Only Ben could juggle both.
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✨ **Episode 5 Word Count: ~2,040** ✨
(Earth comedy chapter accomplished.)
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# 📖 Next: Episode 6 – *Baptism by Stars* (Space)