Chapter 3: Family Councils and Difficult Decisions.
Two weeks had passed since the mall incident, and Ben had grown increasingly confident with the Omnitrix. He'd successfully stopped three more villain encounters—a purse snatcher using a speed Quirk, a bank robber with stone armor, and a group of thugs terrorizing the shopping district. Each time, he'd managed to slip away before the authorities could identify him, leaving behind only confused witnesses and speculation about the mysterious "alien hero."
The media had dubbed his various forms with names like "Four-Arms," "Crystal Man," and "Fire Guy," completely unaware that they were all the same person. Ben found their confusion amusing, but more importantly, he'd proven to himself that the Omnitrix wasn't just a fluke—he could be a real hero.
Which brought him to his current predicament.
"Absolutely not."
Ben sat at the kitchen table, the official U.A. High School re-application forms spread before him like a challenge. His parents, Carl and Sandra Tennyson, flanked him on either side, while his grandfather Max leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.
"Ben," his mother said gently, her voice carrying that particular tone parents used when they were trying to be supportive but were actually terrified, "we've been through this. U.A. is for students with Quirks. You don't have—"
"Things change, Mom." Ben's finger traced the edge of the application. "I've been... developing some abilities lately."
"Abilities?" His father leaned forward, skepticism written across his weathered features. "Son, we've had you tested by the best Quirk analysts in the city. Dr. Yamamoto confirmed it three separate times—you don't have the extra joint, your genetic markers are completely normal, and there's no trace of Quirk factor in your system."
Ben's hand instinctively moved to cover the Omnitrix beneath his long sleeve. "Maybe they missed something."
"Ben..." Max's voice carried the weight of years of experience as a former Pro Hero support engineer. "I understand the desire to follow your dreams, but false hope can be more dangerous than facing reality. The entrance exam isn't just about getting into school—it's about surviving the training that comes after."
"I can handle it."
"Can you?" Sandra reached across the table to touch her son's hand. "Ben, you've always been brilliant. Your analytical skills, your strategic thinking, your knowledge of hero work—they're all exceptional. But the practical exam requires physical confrontation with robots designed to test combat Quirks. Without powers..."
She didn't need to finish the sentence. They all knew what happened to Quirkless applicants who attempted the practical exam. Best case scenario: humiliation. Worst case: serious injury.
The kitchen fell silent except for the tick of the wall clock and the distant hum of traffic outside their modest apartment. Ben stared at the forms, feeling the weight of fifteen years of limitations pressing down on his shoulders.
"What if..." he began slowly, "what if I didn't go alone?"
Carl frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Gwen." Ben looked up, meeting his parents' confused expressions. "She's already planning to take the exam next year anyway. What if she took it early? We could... watch each other's backs."
Max straightened up, his expression thoughtful. "You want your cousin to take the U.A. entrance exam a year early?"
"She's smart enough. Her grades are better than mine, and her Quirk is incredibly versatile. The only reason she's waiting is because she wants to be absolutely prepared, but Gwen's been ready since she was twelve."
Sandra and Carl exchanged a long look—one of those wordless conversations that married couples perfected over years together.
"And you think she'd agree to this?" Sandra asked carefully.
Ben's confidence wavered slightly. "Maybe? If we asked nicely?"
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
Gwen Tennyson stood in the doorway of Ben's bedroom, her auburn hair practically crackling with indignation. She'd arrived within twenty minutes of his phone call, which Ben took as either a good sign of her concern or a bad sign of her desire to strangle him quickly.
"Hear me out—"
"No, Ben. Just... no." Gwen pushed past him and began pacing around his room, stepping over scattered hero analysis notebooks and technical manuals. "Do you have any idea what you're asking? The U.A. entrance exam has a failure rate of over 99%. Even students with powerful Quirks struggle to qualify."
"But you wouldn't struggle." Ben sat on his bed, watching her pace. "Gwen, you're one of the strongest people I know. Your energy manipulation is incredibly advanced for someone our age, and your tactical thinking—"
"Flattery isn't going to work." She stopped pacing and crossed her arms. "Ben, I love you like a brother, but this is insane. Even if I could pass the exam—which is a big if—what about you? You don't have a Quirk. You'd be facing combat robots designed to challenge superhuman abilities with nothing but your bare hands."
Ben's fingers twitched toward the Omnitrix, hidden beneath his sleeve. "What if I told you I've been training? Developing some... unconventional techniques?"
"Unconventional techniques?" Gwen's eyebrow arched in that particular way that meant she smelled deception. "Ben, I've known you my entire life. The most unconventional technique you've ever developed is using a calculator to solve word problems in math class."
"People change, Gwen."
"Not that much." She moved closer, her green eyes studying his face with uncomfortable intensity. "What aren't you telling me?"
The question hung in the air between them like a challenge. Ben felt the weight of his secret pressing against his chest, demanding to be shared. But how could he explain the Omnitrix without sounding completely insane? How could he tell his cousin that he'd been transformed from the school's most notorious failure into a shapeshifting alien hero?
The silence stretched until a knock on the bedroom door interrupted them.
"Ben? Gwen?" Sandra's voice carried through the wood. "Could you come to the living room, please? Your Uncle Frank and Aunt Natalie are here."
Gwen shot Ben a look that clearly said 'this conversation isn't over' before they both headed downstairs.
The living room felt crowded with both sets of parents present. Frank Tennyson—Gwen's father and Carl's older brother—sat in the armchair with his wife Natalie beside him. Both wore expressions that suggested they'd already been briefed on Ben's ridiculous plan.
"So," Frank began without preamble, "I hear you want to drag my daughter into your suicide mission."
"Frank," Max warned, but the older man waved him off.
"No, Dad. This needs to be said." Frank's attention focused on Ben like a laser. "Son, I respect your determination, I really do. But asking Gwen to risk her future just so you can chase an impossible dream... that's selfish."
Ben felt heat rise in his cheeks. "I'm not asking her to risk anything. If anything, I'd be helping her. Two people working together have better chances than—"
"Better chances of what?" Natalie interrupted, her voice sharp with concern. "Ben, honey, we've all seen the statistics. Students without combat-oriented Quirks struggle in the practical exam. Students without any Quirks at all... they don't just fail, they get hurt."
"And if Gwen gets distracted trying to protect you during the exam," Frank continued, "she could fail too. Is that really what you want?"
The accusation hit Ben like a physical blow. He looked at Gwen, seeing the conflict in her expression—love for her cousin warring with concern for her own future.
"Maybe..." Gwen said slowly, "maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to take the exam early. I mean, worst case scenario, I fail and try again next year. Best case, I get into U.A. a year ahead of schedule."
"Gwen," her mother said warningly.
"I'm just saying." Gwen shrugged, but Ben could see the calculating look in her eyes. "The entrance exam isn't just about combat anyway. They test academic knowledge, strategic thinking, crisis response... stuff I'm already good at."
Ben felt a surge of hope. "So you'll do it?"
"I didn't say that." Gwen held up a hand to forestall his excitement. "I said I'd think about it. But Ben, if I agree to this—and that's a big if—you need to promise me something."
"Anything."
"You need to be completely honest with me. About everything. No secrets, no half-truths, no 'trust me' nonsense. If we're going to be partners, I need to know exactly what I'm getting into."
Ben's hand moved instinctively to his sleeve again. "Gwen..."
"No, Ben. This is non-negotiable. You want my help? Then you need to trust me enough to tell me the truth." Her eyes narrowed. "And don't think I haven't noticed you fidgeting with your left wrist every time someone mentions your supposed lack of abilities."
The room fell silent. Ben could feel six pairs of eyes focused on him, waiting for an explanation he couldn't give. Not here. Not like this.
"Can I... can I talk to Gwen alone for a minute?"
The adults exchanged glances, then began filing out of the room. Max paused at the doorway.
"Ben," he said quietly, "whatever you're hiding, remember that secrets have a way of coming out at the worst possible moments."
When they were alone, Gwen settled into the armchair and fixed Ben with an expectant stare.
"Well?"
Ben took a deep breath, then slowly rolled up his left sleeve.
Gwen's eyes widened as she saw the Omnitrix for the first time—its black and white design stark against Ben's pale skin, the green hourglass symbol pulsing softly with inner light.
"Ben," she whispered, "what is that thing?"
"It's called the Omnitrix." Ben's voice was barely audible. "It's... alien technology. It crashed here about three weeks ago, and it bonded with me. Gwen, it lets me transform into different alien species, each with their own unique abilities."
Gwen stared at the device, then at Ben, then back at the device. "You're serious."
"Completely."
"Prove it."
Ben hesitated. "Here? In the living room?"
"The backyard then. But Ben, if this is some kind of elaborate joke..."
"It's not." Ben stood up, his heart pounding. "Come on. I'll show you."
Five minutes later, they stood in the small backyard behind the apartment building. The space was barely large enough for Gwen's mother's herb garden and a small patio, but it would have to do.
Ben activated the Omnitrix, and the familiar green hologram appeared, cycling through alien silhouettes.
"Each form lasts exactly ten minutes," he explained as he selected the one he wanted. "And there's a cooldown period between transformations. I'm still figuring out all the details, but Gwen... this is real."
He pressed down on the device.
The transformation was always spectacular, but watching it from the outside, Gwen understood why witnesses struggled to describe what they'd seen. Ben's entire body was consumed by green light, his form stretching and changing until a massive red-skinned figure stood where her cousin had been moments before.
"Hi, Gwen," Four Arms said, his voice deeper but unmistakably Ben's. "Questions?"
Gwen's mouth opened and closed several times before any sound came out.
"You're..." she stammered, "you're him. The hero from the mall. And the bank robbery. And the shopping district incident."
"Guilty as charged." Four Arms held up all four hands in a gesture of surrender. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I wasn't sure you'd believe me."
"Ben." Gwen's voice was barely a whisper. "Do you have any idea what this means?"
"That I'm not Quirkless anymore?"
"No, you idiot." Gwen stepped closer, her eyes wide with wonder. "This is bigger than Quirks. This is bigger than hero work. Ben, you have access to alien DNA. The scientific implications alone..."
"I know it's a lot to process—"
"Process?" Gwen laughed, a sound caught between hysteria and amazement. "Ben, you've just completely revolutionized my understanding of human evolution, genetic diversity, and the fundamental nature of life in the universe. Processing is going to take a while."
The Omnitrix began beeping, signaling the approaching timeout. Four Arms looked down at the device with familiar resignation.
"And there's the timer. Give me a few minutes to recharge, and I can show you another form if you—"
The transformation ended abruptly, leaving Ben standing in the fading green light. Gwen stared at him for a long moment, then sat down heavily on the patio steps.
"Okay," she said finally. "I'm in."
"In?"
"The U.A. exam. I'll take it with you." She looked up at him, her expression mixing determination with exasperation. "But Ben, if we're going to do this, we need to be smart about it. Strategic. You can't just transform into random aliens and hope for the best."
Ben felt a grin spreading across his face. "So you'll help me train?"
"I'll help you not get killed." Gwen stood up, brushing dirt off her jeans. "But first, I want to see every form you have access to. All ten of them. And I want detailed explanations of their abilities, weaknesses, and tactical applications."
"That could take a while."
"We have time. The entrance exam isn't for another two months." Gwen's eyes gleamed with the same intensity she brought to her advanced placement courses. "Ben, if we're going to pull this off, we need to approach it like a military operation. Intelligence gathering, strategic planning, contingency preparation."
"You know," Ben said, watching his cousin shift into full analytical mode, "this might actually work."
"It better," Gwen replied grimly. "Because if it doesn't, we're both going to end up as cautionary tales in next year's career guidance seminars."