Many years ago a young woman named Angela Roth became a ward of America and was channeled through the foster care system, always migrating from one uncaring family to the next.
This ultimately bred a sense of apathy in Angela, and when religion failed to provide her with a sense of spiritual satisfaction, she turned to Satanism as an alternative, and quickly fell in with the Church of Blood, an underground demonic cult that secretly operated out of New Jersey.
That same cult that purportedly attempted to summon the devil, and was offered up as a potential "bride" for Satan. What appeared before them however was something far worse. This being seduced Roth and it was only later that she discovered that she had mated with a powerful demon known as Trigon.
And from this unholy union, a child was born. A girl with grey skin.
Angela fled to the realm of Azarath, to raise her child under the tutelage of benevolent mystics and away from her father's influence. The priests of Azarath gave her the new name "Arella," which meant Messenger Angel.
As the years passed, Arella watched her daughter grow, not just physically, but in spiritual strength. Under the tutelage of the great Azar, her daughter was instilled with a new philosophy on life and was raised to understand the importance of compassion, patience, and peace. Her daughter, was given a new name as well: Raven
But this peace would not last for long.
"What do you mean raise her differently?!" Arella shouted, speaking to one of the people of Azarath who was the Spiritual Leader.
"Your daughter is half demon, Arella. A part of her is half Trigon. She has no doubt inherited great power from her father's demonic lineage. She should be raised separately from her mother to minimize the chance of emotional ties being formed between them."
"I've never heard of such a thing!" Arella said.
"Then perhaps you should go elsewhere to raise your daughter." said the leader.
"And go back where?" Arella said. "To my mother and father? They've disowned me. Or to the Church of Brother Blood? I would rather die!"
"Then you must raise her differently. We beg of you. It is far too large of a risk to take to raise her normally. Please. No matter what, Trigon cannot have her. He is destined to consume the world. That's why he sired her in the first place. To have the perfect portal to the mortal realm. If that happens then there's no telling how much of the world will be consumed. Arella." the leader pleaded.
"Oh, my poor..." It gutted Arella. Greatly. But, she hated to admit it. The leader known as Azar was right. Arella knew that Trigon's evil influence had taken root in her daughter and that the demon would stop at nothing to take her under his wing as his heir.
"Mother? What's wrong?" And speaking of Raven, the little girl had shown up, being only 5 years old right now, wearing a cute little robe with big eyes of childhood innocence and naiveté. She had no idea of what was going on. Or of the danger that was facing her.
Nothing. Nothing, darling." Arella said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Come. Let's go to bed. I'm tired and I know you are, too. We'll talk about this more tomorrow, Azar." she said, taking her daughter by the hand and leading her away, walking down the corridors of Azarath's Temple, her daughter following her in a series of skips and hops and jumps.
"But I don't wanna." the little Raven said.
"Come along." Arella insisted.
"Okay, fine." Raven said, pouting cutely and continuing to skip and hop behind her mom. All while Arella had a saddened face, knowing she had to do what she could to raise Raven in a new way. A way that went against Trigon.
But eventually, Azara passed away of old age. But when she did, she relinquished control of Raven's upbringing into the hands of Arella. Now, it was all Arella's hard work without Azar' assistance in anyway.
And the work she did was rather crushing to her. A lack of emotions was the approach. Raven was raised to restrain her emotions in the hopes that the evil that had influenced her would someday fade away and die.
"Aaah..." Raven's birthday would come along, but with Arella's instruction, she was forbidden to express her joy. This was her 7th birthday. "Aaaahhhh...yay." the girl said in an emotionless voice. Arella had told her she was not allowed to express happiness or sadness or any other emotion.
Not even a cake or anything for her birthday.
She grew distant from her friends in Azarath. To be fair, she barely had any as she rarely interacted with the other children. But with this new way or being raised, Raven could only stand by and watch as the children of Azarath continued to play their games, sing their songs and enjoy the sunlight, all while Raven stood off to the side, unable to express the envy or sadness that should've been there. It was a lonely existence.
She teared up while holding some books, running away as she wished to enjoy herself. Arella saw this, seeing her daughter bolt off. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, having to put her own daughter through this.
It was a sacrifice that needed to be made. But that didn't make it any easier. Arella had to keep her composure though, lest Raven pick up on her mother's uncertainty and anxiety. Raven was an intuitive child and could sense the subtlest change in her mother's demeanor.
"It is far too risky. Her existence is too much of a threat here." A man known as the Magistrate of Food Production, Juris, felt that Raven's existence threatened the sanctity on all life on Azarath. "Trigon's power grows stronger every day. I'm afraid the child is a liability."
"We can protect her," Arella replied. "We can hide her from her father's influence."
Juris shook his head. "No. We cannot. Every moment she spends in this temple, she becomes stronger. It is only a matter of time before her power destroys us all." Arella didn't know what to say. She didn't want to abandon her daughter. She had to believe that Raven could still be saved. She had to have faith in her daughter. She had to.
"Arella. I must safeguard my people, no matter what. On this day, I hereby elect to break Azarath's most sacred law...the taking of a human life!" He raised his voice. "Raven must die!"
"What!?" Arella gasped. She couldn't believe it. "You can't! You can't do that to her!"
"Silence, woman!" he bellowed. "It is the will of the people." He looked at the other members of the council, all of them nodding in agreement. They were willing to kill an innocent child, simply because of her demonic lineage. How dare they? How dare they!
"No!" Arella screamed. "I won't let you hurt her!"
"You have no choice in the matter, Arella," Juris replied. "Your daughter has been judged and found wanting. She will die, and you will not interfere." Arella was furious and refused to let that happen. Juris looked at Raven's handmaid, nodding in understanding. He knew what she had to do.
"Let go of me!" Arella ranted as many held her back. "Don't touch me! My daughter needs me!" she shouted, trying to break free.
The man walked over to her. "It is for the best. Trigon is far too dangerous to take many risks with. Far too dangerous. It will benefit us all greatly, I promise. Raven will be taken to the Great Door into the Limbo realm. There, she will be killed, and her body will be sealed away. This will ensure that the demon will never have his heir."
"NO!" Arella shrieked. "Raven is a brilliant young girl with so much ahead of her! I already had to quell her emotions and make her life so lonely! You can't take her life away from her! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! LET ME GO!" The guards held her back, forcing her to watch as her daughter was dragged off.
"M-Mother!?" Raven stuttered as the Handmaid was dragging her along. The young half-demon held her only free arm out, trying to reach for her mother from considerable distance, but to no avail. "Mother! Mommy!"
"Raven!"
"Open the Great Door that separates Azarath from other dimensions!" Juris said as he approached the door itself. "We'll seal the demon's daughter in limbo!"
The guards began to chant in an unknown language, raising their hands to the air. As the chanting continued, Juris stood before the door. He knew that the only way to save Azarath was to rid the world of the child of Trigon. Even if it meant killing an innocent. Even if it meant murdering a child.
"You will see the benefit this brings, young Raven. In the afterlife, you will bare witness to it without a doubt. This will only take a second." Juris said as he began to open the door.
But as soon as he did, the unexpected happened. Upon opening the door however, he exposed himself to a power. A power so horrific and demonic that no one could bear to look at it directly.
A power that was the true visage of the terrible, evil demon Trigon. It was a mere glimpse of Trigon, but it was enough to drive the man mad. He shrieked and screamed as the power of Trigon radiated through that door. Unable to handle it, the power of Trigon who disintegrated him with a blast of energy. Raven, however, was unharmed by it.
The guards gasped as they quickly shut the door as soon as possible, preventing the power from going any further. But the damage had already been done. Juris was gone, and Raven had seen her first death. And even though she was forced to restrain her emotions, a part of her was deeply traumatized.
She didn't understand the concept of life and death, nor the finality of it. All she knew was that something awful had just happened. The men and women of Azarath were shocked. They had no idea how to deal with such an event, and none of them were willing to risk opening the door again, fearing that the same fate awaited them if they tried.
Arella ran over, quickly grabbing Raven and pulling her away. She would then hug Raven who was still processing what she had witnessed. Arella was horrified to think of what could have happened to her child, had she not been protected from her father's power. And the fact that she had to witness a man dying right in front of her eyes, a child like her, it was truly sickening.
"Shh, shhh." she cooed to Raven, hugging her. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's got you, sweetie."
"Mommy...did that man die?"
"...Yes, baby. Yes, he did. But that wasn't your fault, okay? I don't want you blaming yourself for this. Do you hear me?"
Raven nodded, still a bit shaken. She didn't quite fully grasp what was going on, but she trusted her mother. She knew her mother would always protect her and love her. Arella hugged her daughter close, stroking her hair. She knew that her daughter had to be scared and confused, but she also knew that she would always be there to comfort her.
Arella, now more than ever, had to raise Raven in a new way. She had to make her understand the dangers of her powers and that they were to be used sparingly and with great care. The girl would have to learn how to control herself and her emotions. She would have to learn to fight the darkness inside of her. And most importantly, she would have to learn how to live in peace and harmony, both with herself and the world around her.
From that point on, Arella had to be even more strict in her methods. Raven was raised to show no emotion. She learned to suppress her emotions in order to avoid attracting the attention of her father's forces or of other evil. And while it was a hard and difficult way to grow up, it was necessary. And sadly, a very lonely way to grow up, as well.
But even with that, Over the next few years, Raven felt her father's evil influence slowly growing inside of her. All the way up until she was 18 Years Old. Despite her mother's hard work, Trigon's influence persisted. She knew that the time would soon come when she would have to face the evil within herself. But she was not ready.
She had her emotions in check, which led her to become rather expressionless and cold. She had short purple hair and wore a blue cloak. She also wore a black leotard. She was a very beautiful woman. Still, not many people wanted to approach her or interact with her in general. They could just sense her dark nature and that was a huge turn off to the rest of Azarath.
The inner Trigon within her.
"I need to do something...It's only getting stronger." Raven thought to herself. And then, it hit her. Something that could work. From her childhood, she remembered the incident with the door and how horrifying it was.
But she also knew that the energy that came from it...she was immune to it.
And that was the jackpot.
She knew what she had to do.
Raven was headed for the Great Door once more. The same door that had shown her father's true form and had killed a man who had tried to kill her. That was the goal. To go through the door and find the source of her father's power. Once she did that, then perhaps she could stop it from growing stronger and stronger. Perhaps she could put an end to the darkness that plagued her and the people of Azarath.
Or maybe not, and the result could be the death of her. But anything would be better than allowing Trigon's power to continue to grow within her. She had to try. With her hood on her head, she walked up to the temple where the Great Door was. The men and women of Azarath saw her and they all looked at her.
"Raven." said one of them. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to use the Great Door," Raven said. "I need to go to the other side."
"But, Raven. The Great Door is too powerful. No one has ever opened it and survived. Why do you wish to do this?" asked another woman.
"I have to," Raven replied. "The evil that is within me is growing stronger every day. If I don't do something about it, then I will surely bring ruin upon this land and its people. I can't let that happen. I need help. And you all aren't enough."
"But..."
"Don't try and stop me. I've already had to evade my mother's gaze. I don't want her to know. And none of you will." With her arm out, she aimed at the few men and women as they gasped. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she chanted. Suddenly, the people began to float in the air, being surrounded by a black aura. Then, their eyes became blank and glazed over and their arms hung down loosely. They were in a state of hypnosis.
"Sleep," Raven said. And the people fell asleep, falling onto the floor. It was the first time that Raven had used her powers in such a way, and she felt a pang of guilt. But she had no other choice. The people of Azarath would never understand.
Now with no more opposition, she approached the door. She walked up the small flight of stairs, reaching the massive, stone door. This would either prove to be a good idea or a fatal one. It was a gamble, and she was betting her life on it. She pushed on the door and it opened, revealing an infinite space of swirling lights and colors.
Another Dimension
She stepped through, and as soon as she did, the world changed around her. The bright colors and lights disappeared, and the sky grew dark. The world seemed to have been drained of color. The landscape was barren and dead. She stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast wasteland.
"Okay, this is the Limbo Realm..." Raven said, looking around at the bleak landscape before her. "If I'm going to find answers, I'm gonna have to search far and wide." She looked at the horizon, seeing a faint light in the distance. It was the only sign of life in this dead world. There was nothing else. Just a vast, empty desert.
"Hello, daughter." But present here was her father. Raven gasped as she would slowly raise her head and see him. Trigon was a tall and muscular man indeed, easily towering over his own daughter, his red body along with his large horns. His face was intimidating, with four glowing yellow eyes. "I'm so happy to see you at last."
"Father..." Raven shuddered.
"You are perfectly fine. The energy that comes through that door will do nothing to my own daughter." Trigon snickered. "And it is so wonderful that you've come to me instead."
"I'm not here for you." Raven said, shaking her head. "But I am aiming to put a stop to you eventually."
"Hmph. I have yet to get past that accursed door. It is durable indeed but eventually, I will be able to break through it. And when I do, the people of Azarath will pay for keeping my daughter from me. After all, you were destined to become an extension of my power. Just like the rest."
"The rest...?" Raven shuddered.
"Do you believe you are the only child I have?" Trigon cackled. "I have sired many children, all of whom were set to become extensions of my own great power. But many of them foolishly rebelled against me...and were destroyed for that. Other times, their human mothers had the audacity to kill them off in infancy to prevent such a thing. Pathetic. For all of the seeds I have spread across the dimensions, none have of my offsprings have survived to become my heir. But you...You are different. I can feel it. You will be the perfect vessel. A perfect portal to the mortal realm. And once you are ready, I will possess you and take control of the world of mortals!"
Raven backed away, her eyes wide with fear. "No! I won't let you!" she shouted.
"Oh, but you will. For the power of Trigon will consume all." he laughed, the sound echoing through the empty landscape. "You cannot hope to stop me. I have already won."
"I feared I'd run into you eventually...but all my hard work back at Azarath won't go to waste." Now that she was in front of Trigon herself, Raven figured it was time for her to confront him. To the best of her abilities. She readied herself as magic was already showing on her hand.
"Hoh? You're challenging me? As foolish as your brothers and sisters that came before you. Let us see how you fare, then, Daughter." Trigon grinned. He was more than willing to test his daughter's mettle.
But Raven did have something.
Something she's been brewing just for Trigon.
"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" With that, she unleashed a spell of great magnitude, the likes of which had never been seen in this world. The power of her spell was overwhelming, and it seemed to have come out of nowhere.
A massive dark dome of magic expanded outwards, enveloping everything within its radius. Buildings and trees were torn asunder, ripped from the ground and flung into the air as the earth was scorched and reality would twist under the weight of the immense magical energy.
Trigon stood still, seemingly unaffected by the onslaught of magic as he held his arm out, holding back the magical dome. But he would soon come to find out that this magic was not to be underestimated. His smile would slowly change as he realized that he felt something.
"Hm?!" Trigon gasped. He actually felt a little pain. "What is this...?"
"A special spell. A very special spell that I've been preparing ever since I was a young girl." Raven explained. "I didn't want to use it unless I absolutely needed to. But to you, it's 100% needed!"
"Insolent little girl...! You're trying to cut my power in half?!" Trigon groaned, realizing what this spell was as he put both his arms against the magical dome that was now pushing him. He knew that his own daughter was trying to cut his power in half, but that was a laughable goal. "Your little tricks won't work on me! I'll crush you, and then take control of you!"
"Ngh...!" Raven grunted, intensifying her spell. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she repeated, amplifying the power of her spell. Trigon grit his teeth, feeling his power being drained away. The demon lord began to feel a little bit of fear as he realized that his own daughter was successfully halving his powers. His own daughter was actually succeeding in harming him and even defeating him. This couldn't be possible, and yet it was. He had underestimated the girl.
But Raven did have her limits. And in her last ditch effort, knowing she couldn't bring Trigon down now, she tried to at least keep him at bay for a period of time if possible. Her eyes glowed white and she put her hands together, summoning a large black raven made of mystical energy. It screeched and flew towards him, striking the demon.
Trigon yelled as this massive raven wrapped its wings around him, squeezing him and preventing him from moving. And then the bird exploded, unleashing a massive black outburst of raw magical power that spread across the area. And the dimension itself shook with the sheer force of this explosion.
The entire dimension as a whole would absolutely eclipsed and overwhelmed by this fierce outburst.
And then there was silence.
As the dimension came apart, Raven found herself in a spatial realm that was constantly moving, her body unconscious in the meanwhile as he floated there. An impressive display of power indeed. However, it did not defeat Trigon. Not at all.
What it did do was something else. Something that Raven had hoped would happen. And it did. Trigon himself was blown out of the dimension entirely and right back out into the spatial void. All Raven had managed to pull off with every ounce of her power was pushed Trigon back into another space entirely. Trigon was weakened. Greatly weakened. That's what the spell had done, and Raven had to push him back and away from Azarath for a time, hoping that she had given her home enough time to prepare for his eventual return.
"Accursed child...!" Trigon growled in anger, his body mvoing across the spatial realm. Despite having a weakness that was exploited, his pride was unharmed and he was barely even injured. "It seems that I've underestimated my daughter. I should've known better. She is a child of my flesh. A child of the great demon lord, after all. I'll have to step up my efforts to make her mine. No matter what. She will be mine, and the world of mortals will be destroyed. But not before the girl knows true suffering. She shall pay for her insolence. For daring to defy me..."
Floating and floating through out the spatial realm, eventually, Raven left it. The Great Door led to other dimensions after all and it was only a matter of time until she ended up on one of them.
Falling out of the Great Door's spatial realm, Raven would drop. Right down onto snow.
It was a huge mass of snow too, which thankfully, cushioned her fall. But the cold was a little much. Especially with it snowing. Being in Azarath for so long meant she wasn't really used to such climates. Thankfully, her cloak acted a a shield from the harsh weather for the most part.
Raven laid there on the snowy ground, unconscious for a while.
But eventually, she would awaken.
And so, she slowly got out of the snow, brushing the remains of the ice from her hair and clothes. "Ugh..." she groaned.
It was a miracle that she had survived her encounter with Trigon. Even though she had succeeded in halving his power and temporarily pushing him back, that would only last for so long. He'd be back. And when he did return, she'd have to be ready. Which is why her main plan was something simple. Something that involved leaving Azarath itself.
"Help...I need help..."
Present Day.
America. Bellwood.
Ben Tennyson stood in the center of his room looking at himself in the mirror.
It was hard to believe that it was only eight years ago he found the Omnitrix. The last summer he had with Gwen and his Grandpa Max was the best summer ever and it had been nonstop adventure since then. Ben had faced off against countless alien villains and had saved the world on numerous occasions.
In his room, he had a plethora of things, such as items and merchandise of his favourite hero, Superman and his favorite franchise, the Sumo Slammers. From Sumo Slammer comic books, to figurines and toys and to DVDs, he had it all in his collection. He had gotten more of them since his last summer vacation, but in his opinion the greatest item in his room was his Flash-themed skateboard.
Ben had begged and begged his parents for months to buy him one and his parents finally caved in. It was so good he could barely control the thing, the product being made to somewhat mimic the Flash. For better or for worse.
His room had the usual items in it such as his computer, his TV with a game station attached, and other regular stuff like that. Ben had gotten rid of the toys in his room, his parents thought that now he was a teenager he didn't need them.
They didn't mind his obsession over the Sumo Slammers though. On the wall opposite his bed was a giant poster of a Sumo Slammer. Ben looked at the mirror again.
"Hm-hm. I bet today, I could be part of a Superhero Team. Or maybe, I should just start my own. I'm allowed to do that, right? My name would be first," Ben said, grinning. Then, he turned around to his computer. "I guess this can wait, let's play a video-game," He told himself, putting on his headset and starting his PC. After a couple of seconds of loading the PC was ready and Ben clicked on the Sumo Slammer Online button and waited for the game to load.
After the game loaded, Ben signed into the server and connected to his friend Wes. Together, the two teenagers began a match and after a few seconds of playing, Ben spoke. "Dude, I'm gonna have to call you back later," Ben informed his online buddy. "My cousin, Gwen is coming to stay with me."
"Did you say Gwen? Hey. Have you put in a good word for me, yet?"
"You're still into her? EUGH!" Ben audibly and visibly grimaced in disgust at the very notion of Wes having any sort of romantic relationship with his annoying cousin, who he still loved of course. "Don't you have better tastes?" he inquired. His face lit up as an idea crossed his mind. He then reached for the camera of his PC. "You know what. Let's make a bet. Whoever loses the next match, has to eat this," Ben explained while pointing his webcam towards the trashcan in his room. Ben grinned when the boy accepted. Little did he know, the real loser was him. He was the one that had to get the rotten egg.
Ben ran down the stairs and headed for the door, almost bumping into his mother Sandra. "Whoa, whoa. What's the hurry?" She asked. The teenager ignored her and opened the door. Outside stood his red-headed cousin. She was wearing a blue sweater and some white pants. Her hair had grown out a bit and now she had a ponytail.
Uh... hi. Been a while, huh?" Ben said awkwardly to the strange girl. Before either could respond, Gwen came into the house. The redhead smiled and hugged him.
"Hey, doofus." She called him by the usual insulting nickname. Even after all these years, Gwen had kept her habit of calling him that. Ben shook his head. He was used to his cousin being the annoying one. The two had never been the greatest of friends, even as children. Their rivalry was natural and very much based on trying to one-up the other.
As the years passed, their rivalry diminished greatly since then.
"Hey, dweeb." Ben would insult back lovingly. "This early into Summer? You know I can't deal with your mess until the second week." He said, teasing. Both knew it was a joke, but neither laughed at the words.
"Oh, I know. But at least we won't make it harder for ourselves, unlike the first summer we had together. It was an experience, wasn't it?"
"Sure was. Ever since I found this." Ben held his Omnitrix in front of him proudly and Gwen's eyes went to the watch.
"Hmmm. So, where's grandpa? Isn't he joining us like before?" Gwen asked. Ben just shrugged in response and pointed to his parents
"Oh, your Grandpa won't be with you this summer." Sandra Tennyson responded to her son's question.
"Really? Why?" Asked Ben. This time his dad Carl answered
"He had something important to do. Don't worry, though. He planned for this, mailing this over." Sandra had something Max had mailed over to the Tennyson household. A letter. A short, handwritten note. As expected of the old, rugged ex-plumber. The woman read the letter, and the message written was clear:
Dear family,
Sorry, kids, I'm not able to join ya'll. A friend of mine is having problems in Gotham, so I'm staying there in the meanwhile. But I made sure to slip by the RV store and bought a brand new, state-of-the-art camper, one that should be more than comfortable for both of my grandkids. Hope the trip goes well and tell the driver that it's the Rustbucket III. Wish me luck and enjoy the trip!
Max.
"Camping again?" Ben and Gwen collectively said with a groan, a grimace forming on their faces. They had fond memories of camping and traveling in the original Rustbucket, but that didn't mean the activity was all that fun.
"I thought you enjoyed it the first time around?" Sandra asked.
"Eeh...It's alright. But I'd rather be doing something else than camping? I mean, all of summer to ourselves. I could be checking out all the Sumo Slammers conventions! And their latest comic book, the pre-sequel of the prequel."
"To be honest, I didn't really plan for another piece of camping. Or a road trip, honestly." Gwen admitted, sheepishly.
"Oh, you're going to love this. The new Rustbucket is the best of the best, I can tell you that." Sandra smiled.
"Yeah, if the car dealership wasn't lying to us. Come on, I can show you it." Carl Tennyson said. The kids followed their uncle and aunt towards the garage.
The two teenagers looked at each other with curiosity, wondering what their grandfather Max had bought for them.
Ben and Gwen walked into the garage and looked at the brand new RV that was there. It was a large, sleek camper, with a smooth paint job. It had a large front window that curved around the sides, and a small door on the side that led into the vehicle. It was a nice-looking vehicle, one that would look good in the family driveway.
"Oh, nice! He left this for us?! It looks smoother than the original." Ben commented, and Gwen nodded in agreement.
"If I had to guess...Grandpa probably left this behind for our hero work. Right?" Gwen looked over to Ben, touching the new RV. "
"Probably. Does he think we're gonna join the Justice League or something like that?"
"I don't know. Are you thinking of joining?" Gwen questioned. "You've alwaysa looked up to Superman after all, so don't you want to be by his side?"
"Bah. That was way back then. After what we've been through, we kinda count as our own team. You, me and Grandpa. Well, right now it's just us two..."
"I guess so. Never really thought about joining them anyways. Even if Wonder Woman's there." Gwen shrugged. "But establishing our own team? Is that what you're going for?"
"We've got our vehicle right now, don't we? And it's the start of Summer too." Ben grinned, laying against the RV. "If you ask me, I think it should be official! A new Team Tennyson!"
"Hmm...It could be a worse name." Gwen couldn't complain too much about it. "Alright. I guess we're doing this again. Just like that Summer 8 years ago...It'll be weird doing it all without Grandpa Max though..."
"Yeah. Just us two doing Hero work. But we're older now. We'll manage." Ben confidently said, walking to the door and finally opening it. Inside the RV, the interior was a lot nicer than the last one, with a fully equipped kitchen and a spacious dining area. There was a nice bathroom, and a large bed at the back of the vehicle.
"Whoa. How much did Grandpa pay for all this?" Ben said in awe. Gwen smirked and chuckled, knowing that Ben's greed was getting the better of him. "I could use a little upgrade from my old room..."
"Ben, you've got enough merchandise of Superman and the Sumo Slammers to fill a warehouse." Gwen pointed out. "I'd be more worried if you had a girlfriend or something like that."
"Hey, you don't have a boyfriend either!" Ben retorted.
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Okay...I got my driver's license just last year. So, I can take the wheel." Ben rubbed his hands together, feeling way too eager to drive this. Mainly because he and Gwen knew that this was not an ordinary RV. Since Grandpa Max passed it on, there was a secret in here somewhere. One that would benefit the duo in their hero work. "Let's see what this baby's got." he added, sitting in the driving seat.
And as soon as he did, to his surprise, the front of the vehicle would change. It immediately transformed in response to Ben sitting down on the driver's seat. The front of the vehicle was now a large control panel, filled with various buttons, levers, and other controls.
"Whoa. This is...awesome." Ben said, looking at the control panel. "Gwen, check this out." he added. She came in and looked at it, her eyes widening at the sight. The redhead was impressed by the design and functionality of the new control panel.
"Looks like Grandpa didn't spare any expense on this." she said, taking a seat. Ben looked at her and nodded, grinning.
"Must be that Plumber money or something. Alright! Starting today, Team Tennyson is starting over. For the better." Ben said, activating the vehicle and driving out of the garage. "Now we just have to find our first Hero work for the day. If you ask me, I think we should stop by Metropolis."
"Metropolis?" Gwen inquired, looking at her cousin. Ben nodded. "Why? Do you want to meet Superman in person or something?"
"Well, that's a bonus." Ben admitted. "Honestly, I'm just itching for action, ya know. It's been a while since we've both gotten out there. The Justice League have been handling so many threats lately."
"Well we retired technically. Ever since we defeated Vilgax, there hasn't been much for us to do. Summer Vacation was our hero story after all..." Gwen added.
"Yeah. But it doesn't have to end here! Let's go! Maybe we can even pick up someone for our team along the way!" Ben accelerated as the Tennyson duo were off. Off to Metropolis. Where their Summer Vacation would start anew.
It was a hot summer day right now. Even for just the start of Summer, it was quite a warm day. It could've been better, but it was still pretty good. Many were already making plans to cool down for the rest of the season, with some planning to go to a pool or a water park.
And a certain someone was making the weather a lot worse for a particular city. A man by the name of Weather Wizard.
Once a criminal known as Mark Mardon, he had gained his powers by using a wand that could manipulate weather, giving him the ability to summon storms and other forms of weather. His powers were not that powerful, however, and he often needed to use his wand to cause any real damage. And right now, he was doing that. Causing a huge storm to terrorize a nearby neighborhood.
"Ah, the sweet sounds of destruction. Can't you hear it?!" He shouted, laughing as the storm grew bigger and louder, thunder and lightning booming in the sky.
Police cars were everywhere and they were trying to stop the villain, but to no avail. He had the upper hand in this fight. "Stand back, everyone!" one of the officers shouted, his voice barely audible over the noise of the storm. The officers were scared, but they couldn't run. They had to protect the people of this city. But it looked like that wouldn't matter.
"Bullseye." That is until Ben and Gwen had arrived. Ben spotted the storm up in the sky as he drove the new RV, finding Hero Work right away. "Aha! Hero Work! Alright, let's get to it!" Ben said as he stopped the RV and opened the door, getting out of the vehicle. Gwen did the same, looking at the weather. "So, who's this even? What's with the storm?"
"Weather Wizard." Gwen said, holding out her phone that displayed info on the villain in question. "He as out of commission for a few years, but I guess he's returned now of all times."
"Ah. Yeah, he's not that big of a threat." Ben cracked his knuckles, looking to his Omnitrix. "Just like old times, Gwen." With glee, as the hologram of the alien propped up, Ben slammed down on the device from the cosmos.
And from it, his body would start changing. Within a green void, crimson rocks spread across his skin, transforming him into an alien. He emerged from the void as Heatblast.
Feeling energized and eager to get into action, Heatblast would take off, using his flames to fly towards the chaos that Weather Wizard had created.
The Weather Wizard, in his joy of manipulating the weather, was quick to turn his head, spotting Heatblast approaching him. "Oh? Who is this? Not a caped fellow. I doubt you can even wear a cape at all." He raised a brow and grinned.
"You don't have to worry about who I am just yet." Heatblast said, hovering there. "Picking to cause trouble on the start of Summer? What's with that?"
"Summer is a wonderful time for many. And this heat is most certainly brand new." Weather Wizard replied. "Never before has it been this hot from the start. A sign of the times, I suppose."
"And what's that got to do with you making a storm?"
"I don't expect you to know the ins and outs of the weather!" Weather Wizard then attacked, aiming his wand at Heatblast. He unleashed a strong gust of wind, forcing the pyrokinetic alien to brace himself.
"Rgh...!" he groaned, struggling to keep his balance. As the wind blew, it sent Heatblast flying back. His feet hit the ground hard as he fell.
"That's the thing with fire," the Weather Wizard sneered. "It needs oxygen. And if you deprive it of that, it can't stay alight." he aimed his wand again, sending a gust of wind to extinguish the fire-based extraterrestrial, only for him to quickly recover, lighting himself up once again. "!"
"I know." Heatblast replied before launching a fireball straight at the villain at high speeds. The rooftop Weather Wizard stood on would be struck by the fireball, causing an explosion to go off that blew him back. But the villain would remain in the air thanks to his wand.
He retaliated, using his wand to unleash a bolt of lightning, which almost hit Heatblast, only for him to sway to the side with his flames. Soaring through the air, Heatblast would continue to dodge these zaps of lightning Weather Wizard brought upon him, the latter grunting at his failure to land a single hit. In response, the villain would send a blast of icy cold water to put out the flame. But this too would be dodged.
And right after that evasion, Heatblast would go on the offensive, releasing a stream of flames forth. It forced Weather Wizard to protect himself via spiralling barrier of wind around where he stood. The flames were unable to pass through the barrier and were instead blown away, leaving the Weather Wizard unharmed. He laughed.
"Not a chance. I've been doing this for years. I'm not an amateur." Weather Wizard boasted. This made Heatblast grit his teeth.
"Experience doesn't meant much to me!" Heatblast yelled as he intensified the power of his flames, unleashing a continuous flow of fiery energy that pushed the wind barrier back, causing Weather Wizard to struggle to maintain control. The villain was beginning to sweat and his grip on the wand began to waver.
Seeing the sudden turnaround and how the barrier was being destroyed, the Weather Wizard would promptly focus on the very thing he summoned. The storm. Raising his wand high, he focused on the storm itself, lightning crackling within the clouds. And from it, a bolt would come down from above, striking the pyrokinetic alien in question and putting him down.
Heatblast grunted, falling onto the roof of a building. As he tumbled, he rolled across the roof for a bit before jumping up to recover. Right as he did, Weather Wizard was already frantically shooting gusts of winds at him. With a swipe of his hand, Heatblast conjured a wall of fire that protected him from the gust. With a grunt, Weather Wizard tried to increase the pressure, but the wall of fire was too strong and he could not break through. After a moment, Heatblast would retaliate, pushing the wall of fire forward and blowing Weather Wizard back. The villain would be flung towards the edge of the rooftop.
"Oh!" Weather Wizard muttered as he saw himself about to fall off the edge, but thanks to his wand, he managed to stay afloat in the air. As he laughed at Heatblast, his laughter was soon cut off once something grabbed a hold of him. From behind, a rope of Manna had latched on him, and now Gwen was swinging him around and tossing him back onto the roof. The Weather Wizard would crash onto the surface, dropping his wand, and losing all control over the weather. "My wand!"
And with him being vulnerable, Heatblast would go ahead and finish it. Gwen launched him directly towards the Pyronite, setting him up for the finisher. And with his fist thrown, he smashed it against Weather Wizard's face, knocking him out instantly. The storm would fade, and the sun would once more shine. "Yeah! That's how we do it!" Heatblast exclaimed, pumping his arms in triumph.
"Nice work, Ben. But I helped out a little too." Gwen smiled, landing on the roof with her Manna and dispelling the construct. She walked up to Heatblast, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Still. Good to see that you didn't lose any of flair."
"I never got rusty." Heatblast grinned. Gwen chuckled and shook her head.
"Right. If you say so." She responded. "Well. Let's just leave the rest of this to the police. After all, he can't do anything without this." Gwen suggested, holding Weather Wizard's wand, and Heatblast would agree, reverting to his human form.
The two of them still had it after all these years. And that only meant that their Hero Work was just getting started.
They were already on the road once again. Driving in the new Rustbucket to their next destination, which was Metropolis, where they would find more crime to stop. For Ben at least. It was a bit of a long journey, however.
"So, what should we do in the meanwhile?" Ben wondered, his hands on the wheel as he looked to Gwen. "I'm not sure I wanna be sitting here for the next couple of hours."
"We have a lot to keep us occupied. We'll be on the road for the whole summer anyways. Why not enjoy the trip? Besides, it's the first time in years since we've been out on the road together. It should be a fun ride." Gwen pointed out, standing up. "You should take a break. Let me drive."
"..." But Ben looked at Gwen in a certain way, pouting his lips while gripping the wheel tightly.
"Ben..." Gwen lowered her head, having an unamused face. "You're gonna let me drive the RV here and there...right?"
"Come on! Let me have this one! Plus, Mom doesn't trust me to drive anything after I accidentally dented the family car." He explained. Gwen sighed, not knowing why she was even arguing about this.
"Fine. I'll give you the wheel, captain." Gwen sat back down, looking out the window. "So. After you head to Metropolis and maybe look for some action, what next?"
"Well, I haven't planned that far ahead. I'm just going with the flow and-"
"Wait, Ben! Stop!" Gwen would halt Ben. Mainly because she saw something outside. Or rather, someone. Ben would stop the RV dead in its track after hearing his cousin's shout. Noticeably, the area they were in was snowing despite it being summer. The two Tennyson would exit their vehicle and see a girl lying in the middle of the street.
And around her was some snow that had melted off her, but parts of it were still around.
It was Raven.
Upon seeing her, Ben got out of the RV right away, not needing to say anything else. And right behind him was Gwen as they both approached the downed Raven.
"Hey, are you okay?!" Ben rushed to her, crouching in front of the girl. Not only was she unconscious, she also had a feverish pallor. Ben checked her pulse and found that it was weak. "She's probably been here since last night or more! Gwen! Do you have something for this!"
"I think there's a spell for this." Gwen said, believing she did have a way past this problem. But right now, all they had to do was get her out of the cold right now. Ben would pick Raven up, piggybacking her right away. And as he and Gwen were returning to the RV, Ben had to wonder why it was so cold here all of a sudden.
His mind went to Weather Wizard as that was the only logical conclusion. But right now, that wasn't important at all. What truly was important was Raven's safety.